


Welcome To The X-Men! We Hope You Survive The Experience!

by CanuckleheadCowgirl, magnetocerebro



Series: 907 Universe [3]
Category: Avengers (Comics), X-Men (Comicverse)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-07-02 08:44:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 126,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15793059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanuckleheadCowgirl/pseuds/CanuckleheadCowgirl, https://archiveofourown.org/users/magnetocerebro/pseuds/magnetocerebro
Summary: Scott Summers has finally found a place to call home with his adoptive parents Logan and K, not to mention the blossoming team he's now leading in Westchester. But not everything will be sunshine and roses as there are still people hunting both his parents - and of course, the world isn't entirely safe for mutant kind, either. The key will be if Scott can find a way to balance it.





	1. Home Sweet Institute

Things in Westchester were really starting to fall into place. The little team of X-Men had grown to twice its original size by the time summer really hit, with Piotr and Illyana rounding out the team and bringing even more of a feeling of family to the place.

Logan was back to showing everyone who needed it how to defend themselves while K seemed to spend most of her time doing lord only knows what - though no one but Logan saw her come and go unless it was an established gathering time. Which for the most part wasn't too worrisome when Scott could easily factor in that she was digging for information on any of a dozen different concerns.

And when she wasn't digging around, she made it a point to tease Scott about Jean - especially since it was obvious that he  _liked_ her, to the point that it was hard to talk around her.

"Kiss her. Talking problem  _solved."_

Scott shook his head at her, barely hiding his smirk behind his coffee. "I  _do_ kiss her, Mom," he muttered, turning a little redder.

"Then what's the problem? Just kiss her more."

"There's no problem," he grumbled.

"You're a blusher," K said over the rim of her cup. "Which is great because so is she."

" _Mom_."

"I'm in favor. If you two get married you'll both be so red you won't know what to do with each other. I can't imagine the idea of a honeymoon with you two."

"Let him go at his own pace," Logan said, pulling her a little closer to steal a kiss as Scott seemed to be trying to catch up to the shade of his glasses. "He'll do fine."

"I'm - I'm not even seventeen yet, Mom," Scott said, once more hiding behind his coffee cup.

"What's your point?" she asked looking perfectly confused.

"I'm not - we're not - I mean, we're not  _old enough_ for - stop that!" Scott spluttered.

At that, K simply started chuckling. "Okay, on the first count, you're old enough, you're just not  _legal_. By the way. Totally different conditions. And secondly - good. You'd both probably die of embarrassment before you got anywhere fun."

Scott shook his head. "We're only old enough if you go by when  _you_ were growing up," he said, trying to deflect the teasing to get out of turning any redder.

"When I was growing up, my mother tried to have me married off by fifteen. So you're just … a spinster by her standards."

"Yeah, but by that yardstick, now you're turning into your mother," Scott said with a satisfied sort of smirk.

"Ah, but you're wrong. I'm not pushing, I'm asking … and smirking at the idea of you turning properly purple."

"You're going to kill me," Scott muttered, putting his mug down to run a hand over his face, which was still incredibly warm.

"Uh-uh. Not my job. That's Jean's job. And she'd die of loneliness without you."

"Wait, why is it her job to kill me?" Scott asked, turning her way. "What kind of relationship do you  _have_ with my dad?" he asked, pointing her way.

"One where he is happy, and by the way - does not blush at anything. At all. Ever."

"He's also not sixteen. Stop that."

She broke down laughing at that then popped to her feet to give him a kiss on the temple. "I'm just picking. You make it too easy  _not_ to." K refilled her coffee then took a moment to give Logan a proper kiss. "I'll see you boys later."

Scott shook his head once the door was closed behind K, taking his mug to the sink to rinse it out with a sigh. "She did that with Farrah too, you know," he muttered.

"So you should be used to it," Logan said.

"Hey, that's not…" He shook his head. "I'm not … very  _good_ at this? I don't need  _commentary_."

"So if you need her to back off - and fast, bring up your silly bet," Logan said.

Scott paused at that and broke into a little grin. "Yeah… how's that - I mean, I don't want to  _know_  but-"

"Not that you need to know, but we're sure as hell  _not_ trying." Logan smirked. "Which means it's not happenin'." He tapped the side of his nose for emphasis.

Scott nodded. "Well, Jean's six months are almost out so… I'm almost the last one standing."

"I'm not doin' anything to scare the crap out of her," Logan clarified.

"I know," Scott said quickly. "I just meant… I think I might be the only one left besides Thor who  _can_ pick."

"The only one with sense."

"Hey, I do know what I'm doing for some things," Scott said. "I'm just… still new to dating. That's all." He shook his head to himself and then gave Logan a wave. "I'll see you after practice - or, well, no. After the professor's session. I told Jean we'd…" He blushed and then shrugged. "Yeah. See you later."

"Yeah. watch yourself, Romeo."

Scott rolled his eyes behind his glasses at that. "See you later, Dad," he said as he headed out to team practice.

* * *

Scott was in a good mood as he headed down to the boathouse, his hands in his pockets. It had been one of the best team practices yet - they were really starting to work  _together_. It wasn't just that they were all starting to get the hang of their powers; they weren't running into each other or getting in each other's way… they were actually starting to rely on each other. Make plans and patterns.

Scott couldn't be happier about it, especially with how well things were going outside of practice as well. They'd gone on a few missions to save mutants in trouble in the past few months since he sort of accidentally gave a press conference introducing the team - and they were doing  _well_.

But when he got there, K and Logan had their heads together in the boathouse talking in a quiet rumble between them that he could hear from just outside the open front door. Inside the two of them were handing papers back and forth, making their notations on a clean sheet of paper in a shorthand that Scott hadn't seen Logan use before, though K seemed to understand it perfectly, and K was shaking her head lightly as she sat back when Scott finally stepped through the door.

"Hey Caramel Mocha, something on your mind?" K smoothly covered up the one document that was in plain English before she sat back in the couch.

Scott frowned at the move. "Well, I  _was_ just in a good mood from a good practice, but now I'm curious on that," he said, not about to dance around it.

"No reason to sink your mood," K said. "We're just … trying to predict stupid."

"Hey, you're in luck - I'm pretty good at hashing out plans and finding patterns," Scott said. "What are you working on?"

The two of them shared a look and Logan waved him over. "K's been tracking the Department."

Scott's eyebrows shot up at that. "Any reason? I mean, are they looking our way again, or is this just preventative?"

"Um … mostly preventative," K said. "I'd rather not have to wait and be reactionary if I can avoid it."

He nodded. "I was just asking because, well, I know that sort of press conference a few months back didn't exactly help secrecy. Mask or no, the optic blast... "

"They don't have anything planned out yet for you," K said. "They have no idea what your scope is so they can't find a way to stop you yet, honestly."

Scott couldn't help but smirk at that. "Even better," he said. "You need help?"

"You got a lot of experience cracking codes?" K asked. "Or maybe a talent for Persian? Russian?" She pushed a map his way. "They've been setting up at the major crossings, so … they're waiting for us to move."

Scott frowned at that. "Well… good thing we're not moving," he said. "Not with the team doing so well, anyway," he added.

"About that," Logan said slowly. "We found a lead on that doctor, but we gotta go dig into the papers in person."

"I found his ex-nurse," K said. "The one that was in charge of that department at the orphanage."

For just a moment, Scott seemed to freeze before he nodded and the red behind his glasses got a little brighter. "Well, I don't want you to risk it if leaving will leave you open. You can - we can find the nurse when they're not watching, right?"

"They're not gonna stop," Logan said. "Ever."

Scott let out a breath. "Okay. Well. When are we leaving?"

"You're gonna stay and lead your team," Logan said. "And we don't know when that's gonna happen. We're just .. monitoring. Don't want to risk them getting the drop on you."

"I thought you said they don't know how to stop me yet," Scott pointed out.

"As you pointed out - you're not the only one that could be an asset here," Logan said. "You think your team is up to stopping them at full force?"

Scott paused at that. "I…"

"We're not going to leave you guys open," K agreed. "But on the same hand … we know what they want, and if we're somewhere else …"

"The team is good," Scott said. "Really. We just had one of the best practices yet."

"That's great," Logan said. "But have you worked against a military operation?"

"Well, no. I mean, unless you count the platoon I leveled?" Scott gave them both a wry sort of smile, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah,  _you_ have experience with that - the others don't," K said, smirking at him. "But you were magnificent, if anyone asks."

"Yeah, accidentally so," Scott said, though he was smirking.

"You," she said, pointing at him with one finger. "Need to just take the damn compliment."

Scott held up both hands quickly. "I just don't want to take full credit for something I didn't entirely mean to do," he said. "Compliment me on something I earned - like how Sabretooth won't fight me square on. That's pretty good."

"Yeah, that's kind of the case for everyone. He doesn't fight square," Logan agreed.

Scott nodded, though he was still frowning as he considered it all. "So… be careful," he said at last. "I wish I could come with you."

"We're not going yet, we're just … trying to figure out the best plan of attack," Logan promised.

"Still," Scott said. "It sounds like the best plan is to split up and I just…" He let out a breath. "Both of them - that doctor and the department - it's not exactly a quick and easy kind of mission."

"I guess that really depends on if the nurse lead pans out further than the official non-record," K said. "It could be a quick down and back, honestly."

Scott let out a breath. "I almost wish you wouldn't find him," he admitted in a soft tone. "The professor and I are making good progress, and I'd really rather just… not."

Logan let out a breath and made his way over to Scott to rest both hands on his shoulders. "Scotty, we're not gonna take any risks we can avoid. Don't wanna screw up, kiddo."

"Yeah, the plan is to be here for you indefinitely," K agreed. "So we can watch you and Jean be sweet for years and years to come."

Scott smirked lightly at that, but his focus was still on the ever present threat of the mysterious doctor that plagued his memories and who had tampered so recklessly with his mind.

"Besides, I wanna see how good your team is gettin'," Logan said, smirking crookedly.

That, at least, seemed to get Scott out of the doldrums, and the two men started coming up with training possibilities together while K bit her lip and weighed out their next move. After Scott left, she very quietly made a phone call to Avengers mansion to see if there was any way that Coulson could give her a better feel for what was out there. If Scott was that concerned about the doctor … she was bound and determined to get him gone.


	2. Team Pride Before The Fall

The X-Men weren't  _just_ having a practice … they were  _performing_  when Logan and K stuck around with Charles in the booth.

Kurt was the worst, of course - performing with a showman's style that came from growing up in the circus. But the others weren't much better, especially since it seemed the boys in particular had a bit of a competition going to see who could get the best score.

It was honestly good for Logan and K to watch the group like this. They could see the team making use of some of tips and tricks that they'd taught not only the team members but Scott specifically - so it was clear Scott had been teaching them everything he could think of to give them an edge.

But more than the little bit of pride not only watching their son direct the team and seeing that the kids were  _listening_ , it was fun to watch the team interacting on a personal level. Storm and Kurt were hilarious together, almost constantly and playfully flirting and teasing each other. Bobby and Hank were similarly funny competing with each other; their senses of humor seemed to match up somehow in the training room. And Piotr and Iliana were always so sweet to watch together, clearly looking out for one another even in a simulation.

By the time the practice was over, it seemed everyone was in high spirits.

"That was probably the best practice we've had all week," Scott said, obviously pleased as Logan and K left the booth and came down to join him. He had a huge grin on - helped along by the fact that he had an arm around Jean's waist, a detail that no one missed, either.

"It certainly seems the team is coalescing well," Charles agreed. "It's good to see everyone learning to work together."

 _We've got a good leader_ , Jean said with a quiet smirk that had Scott turning almost as red as her hair.

_I've got a good team, you mean._

_I said what I meant._

Scott smirked and pulled Jean a little tighter before he tipped his head toward Logan and K with a smile. "So, what did you think?"

"Comin' right along," Logan said. "Already more in step than Canada's official team … comparatively for sure."

"Your work is showing," K agreed. "You should be proud."

"I am," Scott said, drawing himself up - and grinning when that got him a kiss on the cheek from K.

"We'll see you a little later," Logan said, looking more at K even though he was talking to Scott. They had things to discuss. And what they'd just seen was proof of which direction they  _needed_ to go now.

Scott couldn't help but grin as he headed to the locker room to change. Things were looking up. His parents were finally together, he had an  _amazing_ girlfriend, and his team was shaping up exactly the way he'd hoped they would.

He took his time getting cleaned up and changed, still smiling to himself - especially because now that he had a break, he planned to head into town for a little while and look around. Jean's birthday was coming up soon, and he was pretty pleased with himself for how he had so far managed to keep her from seeing anything that she shouldn't.

He wanted to get her something nice, so he'd talked to Storm - who had suggested a few local places she'd found in her own visits that might have what he was looking for.

Scott still had some money from when he had been on the run with his family and saving up to help pay the bills, and he wanted to use that to get Jean a necklace with a pendant. Something that had a green setting - because even if he couldn't see green with the glasses, he knew from listening to her and Jan go on and on about fashion during the fittings for the wedding not long ago that Jean liked the way green complemented her hair and her eyes.

He'd have to tell the store clerk that he was colorblind - which was basically true at this point - and ask for some help picking something out, but … well, even though it had only been a matter of months since he met Jean, there was something about her that made him want to give her the world.

And since he was still a teenager, he couldn't quite give her the world. So, he'd settle for a pretty necklace for her birthday and hope that it would get a smile out of her.

So after a great team-building session? Yeah, this was shaping up to be a pretty great day.

He borrowed his dad's new Jeep to head into town, and from there, things went pretty much as well as he'd hoped they would. The girl behind the counter was more than happy to help, especially once he explained that he couldn't see the shades of green - and that it was a surprise for his girlfriend.

The clerk seemed to think it was the sweetest thing she'd heard in years and immediately jumped into helping Scott get something in his budget that was still "the perfect shade of green for a redhead, I promise," once Scott had explained what he was looking for.

"You don't want something that's too bright and gaudy, especially if her hair is bright too. You want something a little deeper to contrast her natural color."

"Right. Got it."

Scott let the girl take him through a few options until he found one that looked like something Jean would choose. He didn't know what it was about the wings that worked, but they just  _seemed_ like something Jean would wear. So he paid for the little necklace, thanked the girl profusely, and headed back to the Jeep.

He was nearly there when he heard a sort of metallic  _click_  - exactly the kind he recognized from before - and a gruff voice. "Don't move."

Scott froze, though his hands were in fists at his sides. He was furious - with himself for getting caught and with these guys for showing up when he had been having such a good day. But when he heard the footsteps behind him, that was all he needed to pinpoint the soldier's location before he spun around and lifted his glasses - hitting not only the soldier who'd been moving toward him but the half dozen who had been with him.

That was only seven guys, and based on the huge group that had come to get Logan last time Scott had dealt with them, he was sure there was more to it than that. He didn't really want to stick around and find out, though, so he made a rush for the Jeep, one hand in his back pocket to get the panic button he still carried with him.

He'd just hit the button when it seemed like part of the Jeep popped - and a hole appeared in the door as a bullet hit it. He instinctively held up his hands to cover his face, fully expecting to be shot sooner or later. There was a second shot a moment later - which Scott felt long before he had processed what happened until he sort of crumpled sideways with a hole in one leg.

He hadn't really registered what was going on until then, and when it all came together, it was like it hit him all at once and it  _hurt_. He could hear a lot of shouting from further out - or it sounded like further out - but since his blood was rushing in his ears, he really couldn't be sure. He shook his head hard, his jaw locked and teeth gritted as he tried to  _pay attention_  to what was going on. He was in trouble, and he knew it.

He had reached out to push with one hand against the Jeep to try and get himself upright again when someone grabbed that hand, and he very nearly hit the ground again - except that wasn't the direction he was being pulled. Someone grabbed his other wrist, and just like that, he had both hands restrained behind his back -  _again_ \- and a soldier in black was talking about him - just audible above the sort of whirring sound of his own heart rate - telling his comrades to search Scott and the Jeep too. Someone snapped a collar on Scott's neck, too, making doubly sure that he couldn't pull the same hat trick he'd pulled before.

By the time they'd gone through Scott's pockets and left not only the button but the necklace he'd  _just_ bought for Jean in the backseat of the Jeep, Scott was honestly going into shock. He felt sort of dizzy, and judging by the fact that there was a good amount of blood still on the ground by the time the soldiers dragged him off to a different truck, he was pretty sure blood loss was a big part of that, too. He couldn't do a thing to staunch it, and the fact that he was panicking as badly as he was probably contributed to more blood loss.

Once the truck was moving, one of the soldiers did wrap his leg so he wouldn't bleed out, so that was something, at least.

No one spoke to him the whole ride to… wherever it was they were going, but Scott was almost grateful for that. He'd never been shot before, but it hurt like hell, and he wasn't too keen on trying to get anything past gritted teeth during the bumpy ride.

Eventually, the truck came to a stop near a tree-lined field, and the soldiers went back to more or less dragging Scott along to the waiting blackhawk-like helicopters in the center of the field - their rotors just starting to pick up speed. The whine of the moving parts had Scott's heart racing once again as they drew near - and it only made his leg wound hurt more since he couldn't hop along at the same pace. He wasn't surprised in the least when he was roughly shoved on board, and before he was secured properly, a bag was pulled over his head as the helicopter lifted off the ground.

The flight was long - or it felt long to Scott - well blinded, injured and knowing he was in deep trouble all the way out. His stomach dropped when he felt the helicopter begin to descend. The chopper blades hadn't slowed, but somehow, that didn't ease his mind much  _not_ knowing where he was headed.

They hauled him out of the helicopter then yanked the bag off to once again haul him off, though as he looked up, he couldn't quite miss the massive building looming out of the woods - looking entirely out of place so far from civilization. Or … he thought it was civilization.

He didn't get to see much of the building other than the loading area for trucks before he was inside, and then it was nondescript hallways - two rights, three lefts, one right turn - and then what looked like a medical setup, complete with a woman in a long white lab coat that Scott flat didn't trust. Not with what he knew from his parents about these people.

"You  _shot_ him?" the woman asked, frowning at the men, though she looked slightly anxious as well.

"Kid flattened out our advance scouts with one look over his shoulder? Yeah we shot him."

"Then they clearly weren't very good scouts," she replied as she went to work cleaning up Scott's wounds, though he was still regarding her with obvious suspicion.

"Yeah, I figured as much when they announced themselves," Scott said dryly - though it was mostly directed toward the soldier who'd spoke.

She let out a little tutting noise as she took his glasses off to check him for a concussion. "At least you didn't rattle his brain," she said in a sigh. "I need to deal with his injuries. You idiots can't keep doing this to people."

Scott frowned at her for a second. "Miss, if you're looking for a place to work that doesn't shoot people, I don't know what you're doing here."

She gave him a strange look, not quite a frown, but not exactly approving either. "We all have reasons to work here, young man."

"Not me. So if you could just drop me off at a bus stop…"

"You've missed the last one," she said. "First up for you is processing. After we deal with your bullet wound."

"Pass."

She didn't really look at him after that as she simply started working. She gave him a local anesthetic to numb the immediate area, but then didn't wait for it to kick in all the way before she simply got started fishing out the bullet - which got a solid gasp out of Scott before he simply locked his jaw and closed his eyes. By the time he heard the metallic  _clank_ of the bullet on the tray, he was paler than before - and not just because of the shock. It was a little too close to some of the memories he'd been dredging up with the professor - stuck and hurting and in a medical suite.

She didn't bother even attempting to speak to Scott after that, instead, simply making notations on her tablet and looking generally disappointed before she snapped her fingers at an orderly. "Dr. Cornelius and the professor wanted to see him right away. Best not to make them wait."

Before Scott could argue it, he found himself between two orderlies headed down a different hallway. He was trying to keep them straight. Doubled back the way they'd come for two turns, then a left at the junction, down three floors, three rights and a left…

Finally, he found himself in a different room - sort of like the Danger Room, but sharper. Definitely an observation room, though, with large glass windows looking down on another mutant they'd grabbed. There were two men leaned forward as they watched, and Scott saw in the reflection of the glass that one had prominent scars from a three-pronged slash… and the other was missing a hand.

"I see you've met my dad."

The two men turned his way looking more angry than they had been at whatever was going on in the room on the other side of the glass. "Who exactly are you referring to?" the shorter, stockier one asked, adjusting his glasses as he stepped toward Scott.

Scott tipped his chin up. "Your decorator."

"But he's not  _really_ ," the one-handed doctor said in a very sharp tone. "Where did you meet him? How long have you known our missing asset?"

Scott gave the one-handed man a solid glare. "He is. He absolutely is my dad. You don't get to decide he's not because you disagree."

"I get to decide because the man has no way of legally holding any paperwork for anyone else, let alone himself. Officially, he doesn't  _exist_. So, young man … Mister …" he took a moment to pick up a file, "Summers. Yes? How did you manage to force papers through to be adopted by a ghost?"

Scott tipped his chin up. "Just lucky, I guess. Your ghost is one hell of a dad, too."

The two men looked irritated, but clearly the one-handed doc - who was in charge by the way the others deferred to him - had already had enough. "Run him through the paces."

"He means 'I can't stand being wrong anymore so we're switching subjects,'" Scott said, even as his escorts started to pull him off.

"He means, you're screwed, kid," one of the guards told him quietly.

"Well aware," Scott muttered, only half under his breath - though even with what he'd heard from Logan and K, he didn't realize  _how_ screwed he was until they really got started.

The gamut was everything they could think of to cause pain, confusion, disorientation, hurt… By the time Scott had even two seconds to himself to breathe, he was somewhere beyond 'not okay' and in a weird headspace of just… waiting for them to decide they were  _done_ so he could collapse somewhere. He was burned, he was bruised, he was  _wet_ , and he was just… done.

So when someone new showed up after a couple minutes' breathing room, Scott was expecting more of the same, not a telepathic assault that felt like needles in his mind. Where Charles was almost clinical and Jean was warm and fiery, this was like pinpricks, sharp little intrusions everywhere he didn't want them to be.

And sure, Scott wasn't a  _pro_ at telepathic defense yet, but he'd been building up some real defenses with Jean and the professor. But it was hard to keep those up when he was exhausted and hurt and it seemed like there was more than one assault happening all at once.

The little pinpricks were in everything. His memories of Logan and K in particular, of course, but also information on the school. On his team. What they could do. Even his memories before that - back to slowing a fall from an airplane with his optic blasts. All of it seemed to be under attack all at once.

And then, all of a sudden, the assault stopped, and they had what they wanted - at least for now. And all that meant was Scott was left with a headache almost as sharp as the kind when he'd run out of juice and drain himself dry, on top of everything else.

His head was still ringing as someone dragged him to the next wherever it was they were going, but it wasn't until he heard a familiar sort of rumbling, growling tone that he even picked his head up - this time in honest alarm that overrode the resignation.

"Didn't think you'd make it this far, pipsqueak," Creed said in a low growl. "Might be enough to scrap together somethin' worthwhile outta you after all."

"Stuff it," Scott bit out through his teeth, which was really about all he could manage.

"Oooh, he's got a little fire in him still," Creed's companion said with a chuckle. "Let's see what we can do about that, huh?" He reached out to take a hold of Scott, but Creed got there first - and in a flash, Creed was flattened out across the hall. "Wait your turn, boy."

Scott wasn't sure what to make of  _that_ , though he was sure he was in trouble. Creed was trouble enough, but this new guy…

When he took a hold of Scott's arm, he nearly pulled it out of socket as he hauled him up - and started moving fast. "They said not to worry 'bout trainin' you yet. Don't know if it's worth the time."

Scott glared right back at him and tipped his chin up. "Don't know how long you'll have, more like, til my parents show up." There was no point in not including K at that point, all things considered, and Scott knew it.

That got a solid laugh out of him though. "You think those little pipsqueaks got a chance with me, boy? Neither one of 'em could make it through what I was dishin' out."

"Tough words for someone who  _doesn't have them_."

The man chuckled and gave Scott a shake. "I think you mean 'yet'."

"Said what I said," Scott bit through his teeth.

"Yeah, there's the original little pipsqueak comin' out," he laughed.

"Thanks."

"Just means I know exactly how to break you, punk."

Scott shook his head slowly, though. "Can't do it."

"Sure I can. Did it to him years ago. Simple enough."

"Yeah, see, that argument doesn't hold water when, and I hate to be a stickler on this -  _he got out_ ," Scott said, his eyes narrowed.

"Not before I got done what I wanted to get done," he said in a low rumble. "What makes you think him gettin' out wasn't part of the plan?"

"How hard you've had to work to put him back in," Scott said without missing a beat.

"Oh, well see that's where you're only half right.  _They_  been wantin' him back. Me an' my little friend back there … we have a helluva lot more fun when he's out."

That was the first thing since hearing Creed that really got Scott to freeze - not anything he could do to stop it. It was just not something he'd been prepared to hear. "No," he said at last.

He started to laugh at that, clearly far too entertained. "You don't know who I am, do you boy?" He jostled him again and leaned over to hiss into his ear. "Don't worry. You'll learn."

Scott jerked away as far as he was able. "Stay away from me."

"You're gonna have to make me," he said before he reached over to all but wrap his hand around Scott's throat … and when he pulled his hand away, he very clearly held up the inhibitor collar in his hand - smirking away. "I'll even give you the first hit."

The red was starting to come back to Scott's vision, and he blinked a few times, finally starting to smirk to himself. "It'll be a one-hit fight," he muttered to himself before he felt the sharp sensation just behind his eyes before the  _kzapt_ echoed the small space - and the metallic man went flying backward, slamming into the wall.

He didn't want to run out, but he was also reasonably sure this guy would take more than the usual hit, so he poured it on hot until he was sure it would have sent Creed into another state and finally closed his eyes and  _tried_ to get a breath.

As Scott was gathering his bearings, and the dust was still thick in the air, Cyber's delighted laughter rang out around him. "Am I supposed to be down and out, pipsqueak?"

Scott's head came up fast, and he couldn't hide the dismay when he opened his eyes and saw - behind the red that pushed the man back again… that he wasn't doing damage. His beams were concussive enough to push him back, but they didn't leave a dent in the metal that apparently covered the man's body. At all.

Alarmed, Scott started to pour it on again, until he was literally boring a hole in the wall, too. There was a part of him that thought at the very least he could tunnel to daylight using this metallic man as a point, but he was already exhausted from everything leading up to this.

When the optic blast started to sputter, he had, in fact, put the metal-covered man through four walls, but the man just seemed to pick himself back up when it was over and make his way steadily back to where he's started.

"I doubt your old man told you about me," Cyber said as he approached, grinning obscenely. "But it's time you learned your better's name. Used to go by Silas back when no one knew what a mutant was. Nowadays … those that know it, call me Cyber. If you're lucky, you'll live long enough to figure out why."

Scott was scrambling, but he just couldn't manage to get distance fast enough - and he was totally shot on top of everything else. "Leave me alone," he said.

"Not just yet," Cyber said as he reached out and took a hold of Scott's arm. The grip he had on him was impossible to break - especially with as worn out Scott was … but even as he pulled to get loose, he felt needle like pricks in his arm and he looked down to see that this metal encased creep had hypodermic needle claws on top of everything else. "Lets see how you do with this."

For just a moment, Scott started to pull away, but a moment later, everything seemed… sideways was the best way to put it. He was used to not being able to see normally but this was something else entirely, and he stumbled as he tried to catch himself and missed. Nothing was where he thought it was, though it all looked red even when his eyes weren't glowing.

As Scott started to feel the effects, Cyber chuckled deeper. "Go on, little hero. How you gonna save the world like that?"

Scott shook his head hard, but his heart was pounding. He couldn't place where anything was in the room - was it a room? It smelled medicinal all of a sudden. There was a sound like a snapping twig, and he spun to face it, but that just made everything spin at once, and he threw his hands out trying to catch himself against the floor that wasn't there.

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out at least some stimuli, but that had the smell of tea washing over him even stronger. And then it wasn't tea but smoke and the high-pitched whine of an engine on fire. He heard footsteps beside him and opened his eyes, but there was no blast - and no one was there anyway.

He could taste copper in his mouth, but it was when he could feel the sting of cold alcohol in his elbow that he just wanted  _out_. It was impossible to run or even limp properly, but he sort of scrambled as best he could, his eyes squeezed shut until he felt the sharp push behind his eyes and let loose. He didn't care what he hit as long as he could go through it and get  _out_ and away from the strange mix of airplane fuel and jasmine tea behind him.


	3. No Panic Button Needed

While Scott was panicking and learning what exactly was in store for him, Logan and K hadn't even known that Scott was in trouble until Jan had called the mansion - sounding incredibly upset.

"We got the distress signal. What's going on? Cap's headed to the signal now - I'm in D.C. for a fashion show but Tony told me there was trouble and - and what's going on? Do I need to fly up there?" The whole thing came out fast, and it sounded like Jan was already running to get going if need be.

"No, just … do what you're doing, we'll coordinate with Cap," Logan told her. "We just came in ourselves, so I wouldn't be surprised if someone was already lookin'."

"Okay, well, I just - call me if you need me, please!" Jan said.

"It'll be fine, Jan, we got plenty to work with. Enjoy your trip." Logan tried to say it all in a very calm tone, but knowing that Cap was worked up and on his way wasn't exactly doing much to back that up. He turned toward K and the two of them didn't discuss it as they started to move. "He was goin' to look for something for his girl."

"He wouldn't go  _too_ far," K said. "So … we just need to get down to Salem Center, right?"

"Probably," Logan agreed. "Let's take a look …"

They were nearly to the garage when Charles came around the corner, one eyebrow raised when he saw the two of them obviously on a mission. "And where is it you two seem to be in such a hurry to reach?"

"Scotty hit the panic button when he was out shoppin'," Logan said. "Cap's on his way to look into it, but he hasn't got the nose we do."

Charles frowned hard at that. "Perhaps I should join you," he offered.

Logan and K shared a glance at that. "Alright …" Logan frowned a little harder. "There's no  _good_ reason for him to have hit that button. This isn't gonna be pretty. If it was an accident, I know damn well he'd call and let 'em know."

"All the same," Charles insisted, "if he's in trouble, you may get results just as well through my methods."

Logan didn't look convinced, but he clearly wasn't going to argue for the sake of moving.

"Put on your thinking cap then," K said as she moved to push Charles along. "If you want to help, don't wait for an invitation."

"It was a courtesy to you," Charles admitted. "If you'd said 'no' I would of course be looking all the same."

"Well honesty looks good on you, Charles," K said, taking over the operation as far as getting the three of them moving. "Tell your students to stay alert."

"Of course," Charles said, already reaching out to Jean to tell her what was happening.

The trip to Salem Center was a quick one, and sure enough - Steve's motorcycle was there, which meant he was looking. "Stick together or split up?" K asked. "We'll cover a lot more ground if we spiral out from two spots …"

"Yeah, no," Logan said, shaking his head. "If it's them, you know damn well that'd be the easiest way to pick us off. Stick together."

They searched for a short moment - though it was obvious that something was off when the Jeep was gone - but part of one of the mirrors was nearby on the ground. The two ferals shared a look and barely gave Charles a glance before they took off together following an invisible scent trail as they spiraled out from the busted mirror.

"They've done a decent job sanitizing the place," Steve admitted when he caught up to Charles, who was frowning over the scene - and reaching out to try to find Scott… or someone who knew what had happened. "I don't even need to be Logan to know someone bleached an area by the Jeep's mirror."

"Yes, but I'm sure even a trail of bleach would be sufficient to help them," Charles replied, frowning deeper as he concentrated. "What did you find, Captain Rogers?"

"A few witnesses say they heard gunshots," Steve said, looking honestly angry about it, considering Scott's age and the fact that the Avengers had gotten close to the burgeoning X-Men. "We haven't found the rounds, but the accounts agree there was more than one. The problem is there's a busy road a block down, so it's hard to pinpoint where they went. Tony's looking at what he can, of course…"

"Eyewitnesses don't always come forward, and cameras can be manipulated almost as easily as people," Charles said.

"Don't I know it," Steve muttered.

"There are more eyewitness than are willing to come forward," Charles said. "Shopkeepers … anyone nearby. Did they find any other areas that were bleached, or just near where Logan's Jeep was?"

"There was a trail from the Jeep's mirror to a different part of the parking lot, but it ends after that. Pretty sure the means he was loaded up into a transport from here," Steve said, shaking his head. "I'll be honest - most of the people we've talked to, even with the Avengers' clout… they don't want to come forward. Seemed pretty shaken up."

"I can see that," Charles said, only then being partially open in admitting to the fact that he was indeed peeking into anyone's mind that was around.

"What about you?" Steve asked, one eyebrow raised, though the expression was somewhat tempered by the cowl.

"Admittedly, no one wants to open up to me unless they already are at the end of their rope," Charles said, forcing a smirk.

"The last time Scott was at our HQ, he said something about a machine you use to find people. Is it applicable here?"

"It should be, yes," Charles said. "But it's back in Westchester. And I know better than to try to pull Scott's parents from a trail, even if it's a cold one." He tipped his head at Steve. "However … I'm sure they'd listen to you in this matter."

Steve let out a long breath. "Yeah, you'd think," he said, though he made his way over to Logan and K all the same. "Our trail ends at the road. You find anything at all?"

"Not really," K had to admit. "But it's got all the earmarks of a weapon X hit."

"Bleach burned out my nose," Logan explained, still making a little face at the idea of it. "But it's gotta be them Just don't know where they'd take him … or if it's just bait."

"You think they'd want him for… what, you can't think he'd be doing what you were doing," Steve said, looking honestly offended.

"Probably not the same detail, but I'm sure they'd find a use for a kid that can level a city block."

Steve shook his head. "Then they won't mind if I level their operation," he said in the kind of tone Logan recognized from having fought alongside him so often. Captain America was on the warpath.

"Turnabout's fair play," Logan agreed.

Steve nodded to himself. "I talked to Xavier about that machine he's got in Westchester - might be better than a dead end here." He paused. "I'm pretty sure he's reading bystander minds too."

"Of course he is," Logan muttered. "Guy can't help himself. And in this case - good."

"Yeah, I wasn't going to say anything if it helps us find Scott," Steve admitted. "From what I've found about the department - and what you've told me? - they have no business with a teenager. None."

"Yeah. Take it up with every military on the planet, Cap. How old were you when you enlisted again?" Logan gave him a little glare but was moving toward where Charles was.

"That … is not important."

"You mighta been born in the twenties, but you don't look  _that_ old," Logan said. "Crotchety old thing."

"Yeah, you're one to talk."

"I'm not the one freakin' out over age alone," Logan said. "If I was, I'd have been draggin' you back stateside by your ear when we met."

Steve crossed his arms at that. "That was then. And after Bucky-"

"Yeah. and now he wants to drag someone back by the ear," K muttered, pulling at Logan's arm to move along faster. "Got it. Don't really care about things that happened in the war right now."

"Right. Yeah," Steve said with a nod. "I'll see if Tony's got anything. Contact me if your professor finds anything."

"Why don't you just meet us at the school?" K said. "Chances are good we're going to head out. No reason to do it in waves. Unless you like being in the  _second_ strike."

Steve gave her a dry look for that one. "I'll meet you there."

K smirked to herself in spite of the situation. It was a little too easy to get to Steve, and K knew that there were a lot more levels to the department than just jumping right to the worst black ops in Weapon X. Though Logan was right. There were definitely uses for a kid with his natural talents.

* * *

The reports from Cyber were already coming in more or less like Thornton had suspected.

The boy was young - perhaps too young to subject to the tests, but any real time spent with Logan had to be counted as worth a bit of growing up. Even if it was out of necessity. That much was clear from Cyber's reports of his resiliency.

And, of course, he had more allegiances than just his adoption. They knew everything about the young group gathering up in New York - though it seemed that the boy actually believed the buy line about their purpose being to push their funding member's vision of a world with 'peaceful coexistence' as if that would be something attainable. Still, that was nothing they didn't already know, and they certainly had telepathic defenses in place. The interesting reports from the telepaths were the nature and size of the group - and its makeup.

But what they didn't know yet - and that was to change very soon - was exactly how powerful the boy was - and by extension, how powerful he could become. So naturally, Cyber had been ordered to take him to a testing range of sorts. Every time he'd been prompted to use his powers, but the boy had been either clutching his glasses to his head or screwing his eyes shut - or both as much as possible. But Thornton had faith that Cyber would find a way to force him into it if need be. All that was left was for them to watch the readouts and cameras on the sleepy little mining town that had always been a little too close to this particular facility for Thornton's liking.

As for Scott himself, at the moment, he was still trying to keep his glasses on, his free hand on the frames while Cyber had hold of the other arm as he led him down. He was still disoriented, but that was wearing off slowly, and by the time he realized he was outside, he was half wondering if they were going to meet Logan or K for a trade. He'd been bait often enough, after all. And he knew that both of them would happily step up for his benefit.

"Now, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way, doesn't make a lick of difference to me," Cyber informed him. "But … you're  _gonna_ do this. And I think you know by now that I can make you."

"Do what, exactly?" Scott said, his eyes narrowed behind his glasses.

"Let loose," Cyber said, gesturing toward the town below, where even from where they were, Scott could see people milling around. "It's up to you if you do it seein' a town or if it's whatever nightmares come out of my toxins."

There was a beat of silence as Scott blinked, honestly too shocked to form a response right away. "That's not - no," he said.

"Suit yourself," Cyber replied, not even considering giving him a second chance before he let the needle-like claws sink into Scott's arm. "This is a special mix. Just for you - based off your personal chemistry. Let me know if the lab did their job right or not." He didn't let  _go_ of Scott, of course, instead making sure that he stayed semi-upright and pointed the right way, though when Scott tried to struggle to get loose, Cyber took up both of his hands and held them behind Scott's back then took a hold of Scott by the top of his head with his free hand to keep him pointed the right way.

For his part, Scott really did try to keep his eyes closed, but the more the drug worked its way through his veins, the more difficult that was. He couldn't get a breath right for how panicked he was, and when the first audio hallucination really hit him and all he could hear was Alex panicking, he couldn't help it. His eyes popped open, and the chemical reaction of just how  _hard_ his fear response had been triggered made it nearly impossible to close them again.

Everything went red, and of course, all Scott could see was a parachute on fire - and then a bunch of trees cracked and half bent over well beyond the soldiers he'd blasted away from his shot-up adoptive father - and then it was just red.

His little brother was screaming in the back of his mind for what felt like forever before that sound finally started to fade, and the red shifted to more colors. The town finally began to take shape - though there really wasn't much left of it. It was flattened, buildings broken completely in half where they weren't entirely obliterated, the water tower was nothing more than a twisted mass of metal, roads going through the small town was torn up...

"That … is some beautiful work," Cyber growled out over Scott's shoulder, then broke into a chuckle. "You should be proud. It'd have taken a lot of men a long while to do anything near that clean."

Scott couldn't tear his gaze away from the town, even if he could have done it by now. "No," was just about all he could manage to say around the shock, horror, anger and the building guilt that he knew would crush him.

But Cyber was still chuckling in a manner that Scott had heard from others - perfectly pleased with the damage around them. "Is that what you do every time?"

"I'm out," Scott said, shaking his head lightly. "I don't have anything…"

"For now," Cyber said. "But I'm sure we can work up something to make you bounce back faster." He clapped a hand down on his shoulder and gave him an almost affectionate shake. "Don't worry. We'll get you up an' runnin' before you know it."

Scott still hadn't torn his gaze from the flattened out town. "I thought you said you weren't sure if I was worth the trouble," he said in what probably would have been a more biting tone if he wasn't still in shock.

"You mighta convinced me to put a little more work in."

Scott frowned and then finally let his gaze drop as he shook his head. "Just leave me alone," he said through his teeth.

"Not gonna happen, kiddo. You're gonna be one of mine now."

"No," Scott said, starting to pick up a little steam when he didn't have the town in his sights.

Cyber started laughing outright. "You still think you got a choice in this? We're gonna have to get rid of that  _first._ "

Scott shook his head. "You don't know how to control it," he reasoned. "Narrow the focus, widen the beam, none of that."

"So you  _can_ do more than just wipe out populations."

"Damn right I can," Scott shot back.

"Then we'll figure out that too, just a matter of time. But between you an' me, I don't give two shits if you ever do anything other than exactly what you did today."

"Yeah?" Scott tipped his chin up, honestly  _angry_ at this point. "How? You can't make me do anything but panic. You want something better? I'll fight you every step."

Cyber turned his way with a sadistic sort of smile. "Not after I get done with you, you won't. You only got a taste, pup. You and I … we're gonna be together for  _months._ " He tapped Scott in the center of his forehead. "I can see it. All the ways to cut the ties in your mind. Break loose everything I got no use for. You're not that hard of a target, kiddo. I've broken the best down to  _nothing_. You'll be no different."

"You're not the first to say that," Scott said.

"Maybe not, but I'm the first that can see the way your mind works like a neon map. I don't care about your memories, or your little friendships. And I can just cut those strings - and you wouldn't know it by the time I'm done."

"Leave my friends out of this," Scott said, eyes narrowed and hands clenched.

"Hissy fits don't mean a damn thing to me. You want me to leave 'em out of it? Do as you're told."

For a long moment, Scott held his glare before he let out a breath and shrugged away. "Don't touch me," he said under his breath.

"Give me any more lip and I'll be touchin' you with the back of my hand, boy."

"Fine." Scott didn't want to hear any more from Cyber anyway, though it was a lot harder  _not_ to go right back into shock when he was sort of limping alongside Cyber on the way back to the facility in silence. All that work trying to build up his team and control his powers and be a hero - and he couldn't stop himself from literally wiping out an entire  _town_.

"Rest up," Cyber said once they got back to the facility. "We'll start again as soon as you got somethin' to give. In the meantime, I'm gonna talk to the boys in the lab to see if they got something to make you recover faster."

"Don't hurry on my account," Scott muttered as sat down, keeping the glare in place as long as he could.

"Don't worry," Cyber shot back. "You're a little too scrawny for me to really have any fun with anyhow."

"Small miracles," Scott replied, though he was starting to lose steam from exhaustion at this point, and he tipped his head back to lean against the wall.

"You're in an inhibitor field," Cyber said. "So don't get any bright ideas."

"Fine." Scott held his glare and kept his chin up until Cyber was well down the hall from the cell door, and then he finally closed his eyes and let his shoulders drop.

He'd really thought he knew what these people were, but after this… he wasn't sure Logan or K  _could_  get past Cyber, and he was starting to really wonder if this wasn't something he couldn't get out of. Throw Creed in there wandering the halls somewhere and if Scott was honest, a rescue effort was starting to look slimmer and slimmer.

Not to mention he didn't know what he'd tell the professor. Or his team. Or  _Jean_.

What was he going to say? The whole point of the team was to prove mutants could be a force for good and this? This didn't feel like something he could walk away from and still lead a team like that.

He swore under his breath and shook his head. He couldn't figure out a way out of this mess. And if Cyber was going to keep using him like a bomb… he had to do  _something_ about it. He just… didn't know what.

* * *

Charles had been frustrated by the lack of progress in his search until that evening, when he'd finally managed to find Scott as Cyber brought him out of the well-fortified facility.

At first, it was simply a relief to find him, though that quickly turned to distress at the state of Scott's consciousness. He reached out to both Logan and K, who were waiting for  _any_ kind of lead they could work with, and projected to them the town he'd seen.  _Is this familiar to either of you?_

For an instant, both Logan and K froze and it was hard for them to hide the reaction, but it was clear. "We need to go," Logan said in an odd tone. "Now."

"You've got something?" Jean asked from the doorway - obviously eavesdropping and worried.

"Nothing you need to see," K said, looking every bit as grim as Logan.

"If Scott's there-"

"You can see him when we get him back," K told her. "You  _don't_ need to be there."

"That doesn't make me want to come any less," Jean said, her arms crossed. "If it's that bad, I want to be there."

"Well too damn bad," Logan almost growled out. "If they get a hold of you too, it'll be that much bigger a problem. Stay. Here."

"They do horrible things with telepaths with a fraction of your power. Don't give them more," K said. She stopped halfway to the door with Logan and spun on her heel. "Or …if it helps your ego, look at it like you're the backup if we don't come back."

"You're coming back," Jean said, as if that decided it, a bit of fire to her tone.

"That's the plan, yeah," Logan agreed.

Jean frowned for a long time before she finally let her shoulders drop. "Alright," she said. "I'm just… worried."

"Join the club," K said as Logan hastily wrote something on a piece of paper then stuffed it into an envelope before he handed it to Kurt.

"If we don't come back, this is where we'll be. Don't open it before say, tomorrow noon," Logan told Kurt.

"I will keep it safe," Kurt said, though his tail was still behind him and his eyes were wide.

"Cap said he'd meet up with us," K said, giving Logan a look. "We should get changed."

"Murder dress," Bobby said under his breath to Kurt, who gave him a dry look for it.

"Like I'd give them a chance to sneak a peek up my skirt," K said in a low growl as she and Logan headed for the boathouse. After that, things happened very quickly. Out of nowhere, a quinjet landed on the front lawn, not too far from the boathouse, and the remaining X-Men got a peek at Logan's uniform - hard to miss, even from that distance. To top it off, it was clear that Jan had made sure that K's uniform wasn't too far off the mark from Logans - almost an echo though she didn't have a cowl like he did and the lines clearly accented her curves.

The two worried yellow-clad ferals shared a very fast word with Steve as the trio walked from the boathouse to the quinjet, and as soon as all three of them were inside, they were lifting off before the door had a chance to close all the way.

"Did … you know they had uniforms too?" Bobby asked as they watched Scott's parents disappear with Captain America.

"Jan… probably wanted them to have a matched set with Scott," Jean said.

"Actually," Charles said. "Wolverine had that long before he met Scott."

"Okay, but now I'm wondering if we all just got suckered into matching Mr. Tiger Stripes," Bobby said.

"Considering that the last mission I know he ran in that uniform was one that involved fighting the Hulk in a bare knuckle brawl, it might not be an entirely bad thing," Charles said before he simply left the group to head back to Cerebro.

Bobby stared after Charles for a second before he turned to the group. "Okay. Show of hands. Who knew about  _that_?" When no one moved, he threw up both hands. "What. the actual… I don't even … I don't know what to do with them half the time as it is, y'know?"

"Then stop working yourself into a frenzy and do something else," Kurt suggested with a smirk before he simply disappeared - and the rest of the group started to disperse as well, trying to find something to do to pass time and keep themselves busy waiting for news.


	4. Dad And Mom And Cap To The Rescue

The flight to Canada was a long one - at least, it certainly felt that way when everyone on board was anxious about what kind of shape they'd find Scott in. The quinjet made the distance pass quickly, but the time … the time seemed to drag on and on. All three heroes were anxious - and clearly Logan and K were almost holding their breath as they got closer to the coordinates that Logan had entered into the navigation system.

"Okay. So … security on this will probably be tight," Steve said mostly to himself. "What am I looking at? What's the plan?"

"I don't know about you, but if you just want to circle over the section of the complex that's above ground, I'll just … jump out," K said. "Aim for an air vent for maximum confusion. Scare the living daylights out of anyone nearby …"

"If we do that closer to the western side, I'm pretty sure we'll end up in the labs," Logan said.

"And … what about landing on your kid?" Steve said, frowning.

"He'll be in the sublevels," Logan said. "Where the cells are. And the testing. And the not so legal labs."

"Yeah, the ones we'd hit first are the ones that are cleared for government funding. The other ones … much nastier," K agreed.

"And I'm supposed to what exactly?"

"Wait for all the guards to go inside toward the confusion, then stroll in just as pretty as you please," K said as if it was the only solution.

Logan got to his feet and clapped a hand on Steve's shoulder. "If you keep it on the north side, you'll avoid any failsafes and have a better shot at your camo workin' for you," Logan told him. "Unless you can pick a spot and make this thing auto land and cloak itself … in that case, what the hell are you waiting for?"

"Well now I'm going to make Tony put that capability on this thing," Steve muttered.

"Surprised it's doesn't do that already," K said. "Are you sure he didn't put it in and not tell you? He does like to fly off a  _lot._ "

"That wouldn't surprise me at all," Steve said, shaking his head. "Alright. I'll meet you both inside. I'm sure it won't be hard to find you once you get started."

"If it's any consolation, I really don't remember more than vague directions inside this place," Logan said. "And I just told them to you."

"Not really consolation, but alright," Steve said. "I've got your back - once I finish cursing Stark's name for this jet."

"Oh, but I thought you were helping us  _today_ ," K teased.

Steve smirked. "Maybe I'll take the cursing on the road."

She gave him a little smile as she and Logan went to the opening door as Steve circled. The two of them took a moment to look over what they could see of the building before simply jumping out. They weren't terribly high up, and the quinjet was cloaked so it was invisible to the eye - and to radar, so when the two of them  _did_ make impact - both of them claws first to cut through the building, to those inside - it sounded as if a pair of bombs went off.

They weren't entirely sure where they were going, but they knew it was down a few flights. And they knew that anyone that got in their way was likely part of the problem, so they simply started getting down to business.

At first, those nearest the spot where Logan and K had dropped through the roof were all ducking and covering - the dust was thick and the impact had taken out the electricity in that quadrant of the building. Most of the workers there were all hiding, taking cover, panicking and taking stock of themselves and each other as the two ferals rushed by them. But … once Logan and K got out of the initial impact zone, it wasn't long before people were trying to rush to the scene. Emergency lights were blinking - guards were starting to rush and fill the empty spaces - and the first one that saw Logan only had time to suck in the breath he'd need to call for help before Logan cut him down neatly.

It wasn't hard to find the two of them in all of that destruction - so they weren't surprised when Cap caught up to them and didn't say anything before he dove in as well, just as efficient as ever and taking out a bit of frustration on the soldiers, too.

For the way the building was constructed, radio communication between the three rescuers would be spotty at best, but they were easily able to at least share the directions they were going when they were far enough apart in their search that they couldn't simply shout to each other. But, the moment K spotted Thornton, she couldn't help but let the boys know. "Greasy little bald creep!" She snarled into the comms. "This has to be the right way, and if it's not - we'll know that real quick too!"

"On our way," Cap replied, though she could hear the sharp  _clang_ of the shield bouncing off a few helmets over the scratchy comm.

K started chasing down Thornton's trail, positively locked onto him by sight and scent, and the moment she caught a whiff of Scott's scent clinging to him, her growl dropped nearly an octave and she crouched down a bit lower. When she was halfway close enough, she put on a burst of speed and reached out to slice through his achilles tendons - dropping him hard without having to get  _too_ close.

Cap got there just a few moments later, and Logan was on his tail by a few solid lengths. "He smells like Scott," K said, gesturing down at the panicked scientist.

"Who is he?" Cap asked, frowning hard.

"Professor Thornton," Logan said in a growl as he came to stand next to Steve. "I took his hand off. He was the guy in charge when I was here - far as I can remember."

"Where's Scott?" K asked Thornton - her focus purely on him as she paced a short path.

"Consider your answer very carefully," Cap said when Thornton seemed to glare at K for answer.

"He's with a  _trainer_."

Both Logan and K paused for a heartbeat. "Which trainer?" Logan asked, but Thornton wasn't stupid enough to answer that one. And he refused to answer anything else after that, too.

K snarled outright and kicked him in the side of the head, determined to backtrack on Thornton's scent if nothing else. "All yours, Cap," Logan said before he fell into step with K, moving quickly to take the lead.

And though the two of them were perfectly occupied following the scent trail, they did take the time to relay their turns to Steve over the comm. "Left … three halls, right …"

When they finally burst into a high security sub-level, it was clear they were in the right spot - by scent alone, they could easily find Scott through the antiseptic that floated down the halls. And Logan was already impatient enough - and hoping that the kid hadn't totally given up yet. "HEY SLIM!"

There was just a beat before the obviously surprised response: "Dad!"

Logan darted forward as K did what she could to keep the soldiers and doctors stepping out to see what was happening  _away_ from what she was sure would be a touching reunion _._  Though admittedly, the snarl was probably enough for most of them.

Logan was nearly to the cell when Cyber's voice filled the room. He was close enough too, that Scott could see Logan's reaction the instant he heard him. At that moment of recogntion, there was nothing thoughtful about it as instincts took over. Logan froze for an instant - eyes wide - but almost as soon as the clear fear response showed, it was followed by a low snarl as he turned toward the source of the sound.

"Finally come back for more, didja pipsqueak?" Cyber drawled out in his raspy low timbre.

Logan didn't even try to respond, instead relying on his actions to speak for themselves. And it was a very different show than Scott was  _used_ to seeing from his Dad in a full-on fight. Logan's strikes were almost more reactionary, less precise, and though he was putting a lot into it, Scott knew first hand that there wasn't much to be done against Cyber's adamantium skin. Which just meant Logan was boxing with a wall - with little hope, even for him - of breaking through it.

And with it, Scott was forced to listen as Cyber taunted Logan - right down the line. A lot of the insults were the same as what Scott had heard - plus a few more thrown in about how the department had  _expected_ Logan or K or both to come running to save Scott - but there was an edge there that showed exactly how much Cyber was enjoying himself, too. "You might as well save yourself the healin' and just roll over, boy."

But there wasn't a snippy response as Scott was used to hearing. Instead, Logan tried to fight that much harder. He couldn't quite land the hits he wanted and his breath was coming in desperate swallows of air. Cyber was being careful to protect what little of his face showed unprotected by adamantium. And the obvious fear mixed with the hard strikes were wearing Logan down. It wasn't until then that Scott realized that Cyber hadn't gotten a decent swipe on Logan though, so at least he wasn't drugged  _yet_. A misstep was what did it though, and as Logan missed the mark by a fraction of an inch, Cyber turned with him, caught Logan's arm and sunk his claws in right at the back of Logan's neck. He kept a tight grip though the shift and drove down, slamming Logan into the ground and quickly making sure that he couldn't pop back up. Not with Cyber leaning on him tight to the ground.

He was chuckling to himself as Logan's panic started to overwhelm him - screams slipping past his lips even as Cyber ground his face into the floor. It was clear that Cyber was far more pleased now than when the town was obliterated. And it was then that Scott realized something else … not  _one_ of the guards or scientists that were normally buzzing around was there.

Logan was openly panicking while Cyber whispered out all sorts of nasty little promises and threats - unable to throw the much larger man off of him. But even Cyber stopped when another growl echoed the lab. From his expression, it was clear that he thought it was Creed - ticked off about not getting to tear into Logan. But that false impression was short lived when K darted out from an entirely different direction to take Cyber on head first.  _Literally_. His eyes widened when he saw her charging and snarling low, and an instant later, Cyber had no choice but to let go of Logan as K tackled Cyber clean off of Logan- with a claw through his eye. He wasn't dead - but he was blinded and screaming while K made her way over to cut open Scott's door.

"We have to get out of here," Scott said, rushing to where Logan was to help him.

"Yeah. Get him up," she said, turning back toward Cyber. "Did he touch you?"

"Mom, we need to  _leave_ ," Scott said.

"And we need for him to not track us," K said. "And he will."

"You can't kill him; I tried," Scott said. "Come on. He's not the only-"

"You didn't have as long as I've had to figure it out," K said. "Get Logan up."

Scott let out a breath but nodded, already helping Logan upright, though it was clear he was sure K was wrong on this count and worried for his new mom's well being.

But K was already headed toward Cyber, who was still screaming and cursing both little ferals, which was exactly what she wanted. He had one hand pressed to his eye - that was bleeding badly, and as soon as he closed his other eye - still bitching and shouting, she darted forward again and sent a single claw into his opened mouth and twisted her hand hard.

That was all it took.

The whole floor went silent before Scott could get Logan to the corner. "I'm only sorry that with him we couldn't pay it back to him for every hit," K told him - though her tone was still laced with a growl as she made her way over to help with Logan.

Scott stared at her for a long second before he shook his head. "We need to go," he said quietly. "He's not the only one around."

"Yeah, Cap's here too," she said. "And I'm not too worried about any other idiots they have here. That was the worst of it."

"Yeah, well, I'm still out of juice or I'd agree with you, but Sabretooth was here-"

"I know. We caught his stink upstairs," she said. "Maybe Cap's taking his head off. He's mad enough."

Scott looked almost abashed. "Right. The button."

"You just about gave him a heart attack, which is fine. He needs some excitement in his life."

"Yeah." Scott shook his head. "Let's just… leave."

"Right up here, Scott," K said, breaking from the way they'd come in. "There's an exit down this way." She took a moment to signal Steve, letting him know they were headed to an exit with everyone they wanted to take home, and Scott followed behind her with Logan - seeming to get somehow quieter as they got closer to the exit.

They had just stepped outside when he heard a ringing clang - Steve had taken K's direction to heart and had already bashed his way outside through a window, not that he didn't have plenty to do anyhow. He took a moment to look at the little family and rushed over to them. "Let me get him - we'll all move faster this way," Steve offered, and Scott simply nodded as he shifted Logan to move him toward Steve. He pointed toward where he'd left the jet and gave Scott a relieved smile. "Glad to have you back, Scott."

"Yeah," Scott said quietly. "Let's get out of here."

Steve let out a breath, though it was clear he saw the shift in Scott once the pressure was off. "Yeah. Of course," Steve said before the three of them broke into a run for the jet. They were fast, and the quinjet seemed to open for them before they got to it. "I'll get us in the air as soon as Logan's settled in. You remember where the blankets are, right?" Steve asked as he let K take over for him on Logan.

"Yeah," Scott said. "It shouldn't take too long… it wasn't dosed for healers."

"No, but he took some damage going in," K said, glancing over her shoulder at the compound. "He'll be fine by the time we land."

"Good," Scott said as he pulled down a blanket and handed it to K before he got one for Logan as well.

"Hey. You need this more than I do," K said. "Take a seat. I'll wrap him up and monitor him. Give me lip and I'll wrap you up and monitor you too."

"I'm fine," Scott said, shaking his head.

"Well  _I_ won't be until you settle in and let me take care of my boys."

Scott let out a breath at that, but without a real argument, he simply took the blanket K handed him and sat down, watching K work with his jaw locked until some of the glow finally started to come back to his eyes and he simply closed them and leaned back.

"I have the pair that Tony made you," K said after she had Logan sleeping soundly. "Didn't have time to grab the visor, but … we had a spare set in the boathouse."

"Thanks," Scott said.

K took a moment to get the glasses and when she pressed them into his hands, it was with a bottle of water as well. "What we're here for, right?"

"Yeah." Scott took a moment to adjust the glasses before he turned the water bottle in his hands. "Where are we going?"

"Westchester," she replied. "Where a very pretty redhead is waiting for you and probably pacing a hole in the very expensive looking carpet."

For just a second, Scott couldn't help but smirk, but that fell when he shook his head. "I don't know," he said slowly.

K sat down next to him, though she was turned toward him. "What are you thinking, sweet, sweet caramel Mocha?"

He turned the bottle over a few times. "You know … you know that town - there was a town by the compound."

"That's surprising," she said, frowning a little herself.

"Old mining town," he said.

"It was empty when I was there years ago," she told him.

He glanced up for just a second. "I leveled it," he said in a strained sort of tone. "There's nothing there. At all."

K thought about it for a long moment. "Were you alone?"

He shook his head. "No. But I couldn't stop it."

"That doesn't sound like you," she said, shaking her head slowly. "Was it  _Silas_?"

"Yeah." Scott shook his head. "I  _tried_ to keep it contained-"

"Then yeah, no. That wasn't you," K said firmly.

"It was an  _entire town_ , Mom," Scott said, finally letting some of his honest anger show.

"And it was under the influence of some heavy psychotropics and hallucinogens."

"I knew what he wanted me to do and I still fell for it."

"Woah, wait. You didn't fall for  _anything_ ," she said. "That's part of his hazing process. I've seen it a few times. He mentally works someone over hard, then drugs them up and makes them kill. It's how he breaks people down. That wasn't you. Don't even entertain that."

Scott was already shaking his head. "What kind of X-Man am I supposed to be if I can't even keep my powers off long enough to stop someone from using me like a bomb?"

"If you weren't drugged up, I'd say not much. But … let me ask you something, sweetheart. Do you think that your Dad is any less a hero because of what those people did to him?"

"That's not really the same thing," Scott said. "Dad couldn't even remember his name."

"Really? Silas made him murder the whole camp," K said.

Scott frowned before he finally let his shoulders drop and closed his eyes. "Yeah, but I did it, Mom," he said, though his tone was much softer.

"Yeah, but … you'll have to ask your dad if he was drugged up or not. I think the answer is a little different than  _your_ answer to that question."

"I wasn't there for that long," Scott argued half-heartedly, though it was obvious he was just… tired by that point.

"We can come back to it, can't we?" K asked quietly. "When you've had a little distance from it - and when you've had time to think about what they could have done with literally anyone else you know."

Scott let his shoulders drop, and he nodded, leaning back quietly. "Alright."

K nodded at that, bit her lip and paused as she watched him. "I'm a filthy mess … but I was worried for you." She picked up one arm. "We can hold off if I'm just too gross."

Scott glanced her way for a moment before he let out a choked-sounding laugh and simply leaned over - and though K was surprised he went for it, she wasn't at all surprised that once she had her arms around him, he simply melted into the hug, not about to move from where he was and holding on hard for the duration of the flight.


	5. Situation Report

Jean had  _tried_ to find something to do to keep herself busy while Logan and K were gone, but that didn't seem to be working. There just… wasn't anything that could keep her attention more than the mental outreach she was doing listening and  _waiting_ for the familiar mental signature that meant Scott and his family were back.

So when they were finally close enough that she could brush Scott's mind, the only thing she could manage to feel was relief at first - just knowing that he was back.

But then, when she actually paid attention to what she heard when she brushed Scott's mind and looked beyond the simple fact that she  _could_ hear him…

"What do you know?"

Jean spun around to see that Storm was standing there with her arms crossed, and she let her shoulders drop. She hadn't even realized that she had stopped pacing until Storm said something - but now she realized that anyone watching her knew the moment she knew anything, because she had stopped pacing to instead close her eyes and reach out.

"They found him," she said, first and foremost, because that was the most important part anyway. The rest of it - the hurt she could sense radiating off of him, the anger and the intense  _shame_ … the rest of it they could deal with.

Storm looked relieved - as did a few of their teammates."Well, that's good,  _da_?" Piotr pointed out. "You look upset still."

"He's hurt," Jean said simply, though her tone said it was more than just a passing thing, and that was enough for Hank to get to his feet and make himself busy. Even if he was still only studying medicine, he could do something, at least.

"Then you should be at the hangar," Kurt decided - and a moment later, Jean could smell the strong scent of sulfur as Kurt  _helpfully_ teleported her straight to where she needed to be. Not that she was complaining - even with the smell.

"Thank you, Kurt."

"Think nothing of it," Kurt said with a wave to show that it truly was nothing for him, really. "Be sure to pass on the team's warm wishes to our fearless leader,  _ja_?"

Jean nodded, though she couldn't return the smile as much as she'd like, and once Kurt had disappeared in a swirl of blue, she was right back to pacing again.

It seemed like far too long before the jet landed, and Jean nearly bit her lip to the point of bleeding when she saw that things clearly hadn't gone that well - not if the fact that Logan looked a little  _woozy_ was any indication, and not if Steve's grim expression was anything to go by.

Still, Jean was almost holding her breath until Scott came out with his mom looking pale and tired and black and blue - but she didn't really care about most of that, almost blasting right past K to more or less envelop Scott in a hug.

It was a mark of how exhausted Scott was that the hug pushed him back a step, though he caught her all the same and returned the hug gently. "Hi, Jean."

"Hi yourself," she said, taking a step back to look him over and biting her lip before she looked K's way. "I'm taking him to our medical setup," she said - it wasn't really a question, not when she knew he was  _not okay_.

"Good. I'll meet you there in a few," K said. "Both of us will."

 _Good, because I want to know what happened, and how to fix it,_ she projected to K, one arm around Scott's waist.

 _Just be ready to share,_  K replied, surprising Jean at the fact that she was sharing.  _I have an inkling, but I want the full picture. The guy who did it paid already, but I have to warn you. This isn't going to be a quick fix._

 _I want to know about the guy that did this, too,_ Jean said.

_No you don't._

Jean raised an eyebrow over her shoulder.  _I do._

_Too bad._

_I'm probably going to see it anyway when I ask Scott to show me what happened._

_Not all of it,_  K argued in an almost easy response.

Jean frowned at that but decided she'd peek for herself if it came down to it. She shook her head and then looked up at Scott with a small smile. "I'm glad you're back."

"Thanks," Scott said, though his focus was elsewhere.

Jean frowned a little deeper and then decided to take matters into her own hands. Especially since Scott wasn't moving … like  _Scott._  She was getting stronger with her powers all the time, so … She reached out to assist him, and she totally missed the sort of smirk K had on when Jean and Scott floated the rest of the way down the hall.

Jean was grateful that Hank dove right in once they arrived, though she stood off to the side with a small frown and her arms wrapped around her, her hands at her elbows as she more or less hugged herself. She didn't like what she was seeing - and she  _definitely_ didn't like what she was hearing. Or not hearing, as the case was: Scott was even quieter than usual.

She pressed her lips together and then reached out to the professor.  _You should probably come down here._

 _I'll be there shortly,_ came the response.

It wasn't too long before Logan, K, and Steve joined the kids in the med bay - though it was clear that Logan was over whatever it was that he'd been hit with and it was purely for Scott's benefit that they'd come down.

Hank caught them first before anything could be said - just so he could explain to them in an undertone what  _physically_ he'd found - not that any of it was something they hadn't expected.

"None of that surprises me," Logan said. "At all. Just a little surprised it wasn't worse."

"They probably checked to see if he could heal before they went too far," K said, matching Logan's tone.

"Yes, well, that would be the gunshot wound, I'm sure," Hank said, though hearing how  _normal_ this was for the two of them had him  _more_ shaken than anything else.

"Any reliable way to check for internal injuries?" K asked. "I doubt there will be much, most of it will be psychological."

"I'm afraid I haven't trained with the best equipment yet," Hank admitted sheepishly. "But there are a few things I can check all the same."

"That's okay," Logan said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "I know what to look for."

"I already checked for a concussion," Hank admitted. "But I have to agree with your assessment - most of the damage seems to be nonphysical."

"If they're not a healer, they try to not bang 'em around  _too_ much," K explained as she peeked past him to where Scott was quietly sitting as Jean came to sit by him too.

"I'm glad you're back," Jean told Scott quietly before his parents could come over. "The whole team was worried." She gave him a little smile. "They'd all be here, but I called dibs."

"I'm glad they're not," Scott said. "No reason to crowd Hank."

"Crowd  _you_ , you mean," she corrected him.

Scott frowned for a moment and then let out a breath. "I need to talk to the professor, actually," he said. "They know about the team. What everyone does."

Jean frowned at that and reached over to grab Scott's hand. "No one will hold that against you," she said.

"Yeah, sure."

Jean's frown only deepened before she glanced up at K with a clear 'help' expression.

"What did they get from you?" K asked. "Might as well let them know."

"Everything they wanted," Scott said, a ringing tone of frustration obvious. "Powers, weaknesses, potential… everything I've been working with the team on during practice and one-on-one work…"

K nodded slowly at that. "Nothing they wouldn't have gotten from any one of you then," she said.

"Which begs the question - now what?" Logan said. "Too many of you to take on the run. Not enough experience between the lot of ya to let you last ten minutes on your own. So … "

"I'm in," Steve said. "We'll take the fight to them. I'll get my team involved … at least see who wants to help take 'em down." He gave Scott his best encouraging look. "You know you'll have Stark and Jan at least."

"And if they want to keep their hands clean, we'll just do it ourselves," K said. Logan was nodding along with her - and it was clear the two of them were formulating a plan already, even with Steve shaking his head at their casual walk around him.

"The best defense is a good offense," Hank mused.

"Oh, no," K said, turning his way and shaking her head. "Not you. Too green." She gestured between herself and Logan. "This we're ... Not … No."

"And furthermore, everyone here will be more than safe under this roof," Charles said as he arrived as well.

"Professor," Scott said, sitting up a bit straighter. "I'm sorry. This place is supposed to-"

"There is absolutely no need to apologize, Scott," Charles said. "You've made your concerns about this group clear since you arrived, after all - and there's a reason I asked to see your memories of them. Believe me - should they come knocking, they won't find what they're looking for."

"One way or another, you need to stick with your team right now," K said. "You should fill them in on everything they know - and everything you know about the department and how you  _know_ they work now. To prepare them for a good defense."

"Right." Scott nodded to himself before he simply made to get moving. "Alright. Let's gather everyone up."

"Maybe you should wait," Jean said with a frown.

"For what?" Logan asked, clearly taking Scott's side on it already.

Jean frowned his way. "Well, you just  _now_ got back, and - well, shouldn't you be taking it easy?"

"If they're going to hit back, they'll try to do it now when everyone is shaken," Logan said. "They know where he went. Or … they probably do"

"Well they can't have him back," Jean said with her nose up.

"No, they can't," K agreed. "But that doesn't mean they won't try. They're probably mad at losing their trainer anyhow. Retaliation is a thing."

"This really isn't about me," Scott said, shaking his head. "Their telepaths were pushing hard on some of the team members." He glanced at Jean. "You and the professor - Kurt and Storm… Piotr…"

"And even if it wasn't about the team, they know where Logan is for sure now too," Steve added before he gave Logan a severe sort of look. "Don't think I'm going to let  _that_ slip by me."

"That simply isn't going to happen," Charles said in a harder tone than he usually used, already making way for Scott so he could head up.

"They  _will_ try," Logan pointed out.

"And as I said, they won't find what they're looking for," Charles said. "Despite my appearance, I do, in fact, know how to deal with a threat."

"Of course you do," K said, though the tone wasn't exactly one that sounded convinced at all. "This is one of those things in case they come when the big bad headmaster is away. As it happens from time to time."

Charles gave her a witheringly dry look for that, though Hank was chuckling behind K as the group of them headed up.

Of course, the team had varying reactions to the group that had come back from the department, considering Logan, K, and Steve were still fairly bloody and battered looking and Scott looked like he'd been run through the wringer backwards. Though before any of them could say anything, Scott started by saying simply: "They're going to hit back, and you need to know what we're facing."

Bobby frowned. "I thought we did that song and dance?"

"Not… like this," Scott said. He looked between each of the team members. "What I told you… that's what it was like as a bystander. This time, they've got information on everyone here, and they'd like nothing more than to grab some of us and turn us into weapons. It's more directed now. We're not just kids that got in the way - we're the targets." He shook his head. "I'm sorry you all got dragged into this. They went through my knowledge of the team with a couple telepaths looking for powerful mutants. So they know what weaknesses to push too."

"They're using inhibitor fields now," Logan said. "So if you aren't any good at hand to hand - you better get used to waking up sore because you're gonna be when we get through with you."

"I know Logan worked with all of you a little bit, but now you get both of us," K said.

"And me, as often as I can join in," Steve added, crossing his arms as he took up a position on Logan's free side. Logan raised an eyebrow his way with a look that clearly said that the two of them were going to talk about it later. But not in front of the kids - and clearly not if Steve wanted to  _help_ prepare them.

"You said they were coming now," Piotr said, frowning between them.

"They'll be coming  _soon_ ," Logan replied. "They need to regroup, pull in their heavy hitters and make a plan based on what everyone can do. But, as soon as they know for sure where we went, they'll mobilize. They won't take it for granted: Both of us are flight risks."

 _All of you, you mean,_ Jean projected to K, frowning toward Scott - especially since she could hear how much he wanted to leave when he felt like he'd brought this down on the team.

 _He's not a known flight risk. He just travels with known flight risks,_  K projected back.

 _You're not hearing what I'm hearing,_ Jean said.

_I don't need to. I know he wants to go._

_It's_ not  _his fault._

_Doesn't make him feel any less responsible._

Jean pressed her lips together when an expression that clearly read what she thought of that, though she didn't respond when instead, Scott cleared his throat to get the conversation back on track and started to explain some of what had happened - though so far it was more or less what Jean already knew.

 _If I thought for a second it was the right move to snatch him and go, we wouldn't be sitting through this meeting with him. We'd be grabbing clothes,_ K projected.

 _I really appreciate it,_ Jean said.

_Then try trusting us._

Jean gave K a look.  _I'm just trying to help. You're not the only one who cares about him._

 _No, but I also don't need to peek into his head to see how he's taking this._  I know _. Not just from what he's going through, but I know what was done to him and the purpose behind it. So I know where he's at mentally. And I know what_ not  _to do._

_Then help me convince him not to give up._

_What do you think I was doing when I gave him a job to start with? Right now he needs to keep his mind moving to be engaged. When he feels like he's adequately protected or prepared everyone, he'll be able to talk about it. Not before then._

Jean let out a breath.  _I'm not very patient._

 _Too goddamned bad. If you want to be with him, and you want him to remain who he is - you better learn to be patient and learn it fast. You_ can't  _push him. Not if you want to preserve who he is fundamentally._

 _I'm not going to_ change  _anything,_ Jean said, her brows pushed together.

 _Not purposely,_ K shot back.  _But you need to let him process it on his terms. Not yours. You know how different everyone's minds are. Pushing_ damages _. Pushing_ always  _damages._

Jean bit her lip and glanced toward Scott - who had a more or less captive and fairly disturbed audience.  _I just want him to be alright._

_So let him process. He'll come to you. Be there when he does._

_Did that help you?_

_With what?_

_With your experience - with everything you went through._

_Honey, when someone pushed me on anything I wasn't ready to talk about, I was gone before they could keep pushing. I did better alone since people can be so pushy._

_Scott isn't like that, though,_ Jean said.  _He's always happier around people. I know it. I'm just trying to keep him from throwing away the family the team has built._

K didn't even try to hide her expression as she turned slightly to glare hard at Jean.  _Do not. Under any circumstances try to control him in any way. He will get there on his own. And everyone is_ like that  _under the right conditions. What he just went through is exactly the right conditions. You will either push him away or lobotomize his personality. Believe it or not, he knows what's important and_ nothing  _is more important to him than the people he considers family. Don't. Overstep._ Even K's mental voice carried a growl to it by that point.

Jean looked honestly taken aback.  _I… didn't mean…_

 _I know you meant it innocently. But I'm telling you to watch your step. He sets the pace. Period. When he gets past_ his trauma  _then it can be an open discussion. But not until then._

Jean frowned for a moment longer before she finally let out a breath.  _Alright._

K held her glare steady long after Jean had looked away, but smoothly turned her attention back to the rest of Scott's team, just to see how they were taking the recount of the events. It was obvious every single one of them was shaken up by it, especially by the time Scott got to the end and very quietly and without too much detail explained that he'd been forced to flatten a town.

"If they catch you, they'll make you kill for them," Scott said in a dull tone.

"They will  _use you_ to kill," K corrected. "Not the same." Scott gave her a little look, but K held his gaze and let her voice drop low enough for only him and Logan to hear it for as close as she was. "I remember more than your Dad does.  _I know_."

He frowned at that and then shook his head. "The point is," he said, turning back to the team, "that's what's at stake. And when this is over, if you're not comfortable with me leading the team-"

"You're not  _quitting_ are you?" Bobby blurted out. "You can't quit. You were the first one here!"

Scott shook his head. "I'm giving you guys the choice. The whole point of the team is to show the world mutants are more than people with dangerous powers, and if you want someone else leading that charge, all things considered, I wouldn't blame any of you."

"But … no?" Bobby said, frowning. "I mean … if you quit, you're totally agreeing with them. Sorta."

"He has a point," Kurt said, his head tipped to the side. "And you are not the only one here who has been forced to kill."

"It seems we are all agreeing," PIotr said, his arms crossed. "We will stand behind you."

Scott looked almost stunned. "If you're sure…"

"Very," Jean said.

"Right. Well." Scott cleared his throat and nodded. "Well alright then. I guess that's settled."

"Everyone get down to the locker rooms and get changed," Logan said. "You need to be ready to fight sooner than later. No powers."

"No powers…  _after_ we get changed," Kurt clarified.

"Yeah, what part of inhibitor field don't you understand?" Logan asked. "I don't give a damn right now - but when we start up - that's it."

Kurt shook his head, a crooked smile forming at the corner of his mouth. "That's all I was asking," he said before he teleported down - beating everyone else there.

"Showoff," Warren said, shaking his head.

"Says the very pinnacle of modesty," Hank said with a smirk as the rest of the team did, in fact get moving.

-including Scott, who seemed determined to do his bit, seeing as everyone had said they wanted him to stay.

"Professor," Steve said, catching everyone's attention with the no-nonsense tone of voice he was using. "While they get started, I'd like to have a word with you."

Charles deflated ever-so slightly at that, but nodded his head. "Of course, Captain Rogers. My office?"

"Please," Steve replied, stepping back to let him pass before he followed Charles back to his office - not hiding it one bit that the words he planned to have weren't going to be friendly or quiet.

Scott didn't quite get to the locker room before Logan stopped him. "I'm gonna need you to tell me exactly who's slacking where. I haven't watched enough to know."

Scott stared at Logan. "You're benching me."

"No," Logan said, shaking his head. "I want you to start out telling me who needs it the most and where. Never said you couldn't join in."

Scott frowned for a second before he let out a breath. "Honestly, we all could use a refresher."

"Truth is, I expect you to hand every one of 'em their backsides in hand to hand." Logan smirked at him. "So go easy on 'em when you get to it."

Scott shook his head but almost couldn't help the smirk. "Actually, Storm and Kurt are going to be your best students," he said. "Bobby and… well…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "Jean relies on her powers - not that the others don't too."

"Course they do," Logan said. "You came here to learn how to use 'em. Makes sense the good stuff gets looked over." He tipped his chin up. "See you in a few. You get to pick which line everyone goes to. Me or your Mom."

"Yeah, I already know where Bobby's going," Scott said - this time with an honest smirk.


	6. You Have To Stretch First

It didn't take long for the team to start to file into the Danger Room - or for Logan and K to see quickly that Scott was right about who was going to need the extra attention. Jean in particular didn't seem to know what to do without her powers - though it didn't escape either of their notices that she seemed  _substantially_ better with Scott giving her pointers.

"Everyone get in one of the three lines. We'll rearrange if Cap comes down," Logan said. "Everyone tries to go in Scott's line, we'll pull you out in pairs and work you over."

Kurt chuckled. " _Alles gut_. We all know that line is for Jean only."

Logan didn't even crack a smirk, and didn't really acknowledge Kurt's remark in the least. "Step up and let's get started. I ain't got all day and I'm gettin' old waitin' on you."

Right away, the coaching session was off to a shaky start - Bobby in particular looked like he was trying to avoid anything useful when it came to fighting back if nothing else than to avoid the blood stains on the uniforms K and Logan were wearing - but that only had K taunting him. "Next time, it won't be dried if you keep acting squeamish."

"I didn't know you had a  _murder unitard_ to go with the  _murder dress_!"

K didn't reply before she knocked his legs out from under him, but once he was flat on the ground ... "There is no murder dress. Or bodysuit or anything of the sort." She smiled at him as she leaned over him, sure to show her canines. "It was self defense."

"Scott, your mom is terrifying," Bobby called out from the floor.

"Probably because she's kicking your butt," Warren pointed out with a smirk.

"He has a point," Scott said, tipping his head Warren's way with a smirk.

"Come on, Angel," K called out. "Give your teammate some back up."

"I'm enjoying myself," Warren chuckled - though he did, after a smirk Bobby's way, step up to the challenge. K immediately recognized a lot of the moves Scott had been learning with Logan, too - since he and Warren had been working on that now that he was at least flying without the team half begging him to do so.

"You're not half bad," K told him, though she was still pushing him back with some kicks aimed at his head that Warren had  _not_ trained for.

Warren took a step back, though he looked pleased all the same. "Not everyone can create a tornado with a snap of their fingers."

"Probably better that way," K said. "So. How about we work on your defense a little. I know the wings are probably pretty strong, but if it was me fighting you, the first thing I'd do is snap both of them."

Warren stopped, and K noted that his wings fluttered unconsciously, moving a bit closer to his body. "Ah."

"I'm not going to break your wings," K said, giving him a dry look.

"No, it's just-" Warren shook his head.

"You have to be aware of your weaknesses so you can guard against it."

"I know," Warren said, still clearly shaken by how nonchalant she'd mention how she'd break him down. Particularly when she'd been so kind to him on his arrival.

"But you don't know how to guard yet," K said, just before she darted forward to gently tap him on one of the joints. "You have to stop me."

Warren shook his head at that, though he didn't argue, either, simply trying to keep his long wings out of her reach - which was much easier said than done.

Meanwhile, Logan was working with Kurt and Ilyana, coaching both of them through how to keep out of reach - and doing much the same K was - tapping them in critical spots that would incapacitate but not kill. "Won't matter if they hit you with a fatal strike," Logan reasoned. "But you should probably try to stop that too."

Kurt was having a blast, of course, though he was more than a little frustrated at how much harder it was to move around Logan fast enough when he wasn't teleporting. He did, however, decide he couldn't quite pass up the opportunity to try to throw Logan off with a tail around his ankle to yank him off-balance.

Which … almost worked, if not for the fact that Logan grabbed a hold of his tail on his way down, and he yanked  _hard_ to make sure Kurt went down too. The short wrestling match that followed was underwhelmingly short - just before Logan tapped Kurt out after he'd pinned him hopelessly. "You don't want to let 'em get you on the ground, fuzzy blue cheat."

"It's not cheating," Kurt insisted. "My tail is part of me - I didn't use any powers!"

"You know, he's got a point," Angel said with a slowly growing smile.

"Do you want me to cut 'em off and level the playin' field?" Logan asked, perfectly straight faced.

" _Nein_."

"But … if you can use it for defense that won't put you more at risk - be my guest," Logan said, turning back to Kurt.

"It did take you off your guard," Kurt pointed out.

"Wasn't watchin' for it," Logan admitted. "If I was actually fightin' you, you'd be bleedin'."

Kurt waved his hand at Logan. "Lessen my victory all you want. I will take what I can."

"Tell you what," Logan said. "When everyone clears out - and you're not out of breath - come back for a spar  _with_ your powers if you think it'll give you a better chance. You'll still lose."

"You're on."

"Bring a sword!" K called out from where she was teaching Ororo how to block and redirect a little cleaner than what she'd learned already while Warren caught his breath.

But that had Kurt grinning even wider. " _Perfekt!_ That is the best kind of fun!"

K smirked at Logan, and Ororo was looking just as amused before the two women went back to work. K was sure to raise her voice a touch when coaching Ororo through a more complicated maneuver. "Self  _control_ is the key to self preservation more often than not."

Though she was working with Ororo, the comment was also directed Jean's way - but clearly, it sailed over Jean's head while she was working with Scott. She was more concerned with trying to keep up with Scott … and look out for him, since she knew he was worn out.

"Jean, I'm fine. You need to keep your hands up."

She nodded at that. "If you need a break…"

Scott smirked quietly. "Why? Are you worn out already?"

Jean blinked at him for a second before she let out a noise and reached over to smack him in the shoulder - though he blocked it and smirked harder. Which was when she really started  _trying_.

By the time the training exercise was over, everyone was well-worn - but they also had plenty to think about as they hit the showers. And as soon as the kids went to the showers, Logan held K back for a moment to talk over what the plan was for the kids - while they fell into a little fast-paced sparring between them that didn't break up until someone opened the doors to the room and the two ferals stopped the spar immediately and K gave Logan a kiss before she slipped by Scott to do the same on her way out.

"Don't let me interrupt," Scott said.

"Just stretchin'," Logan replied. "I think we're okay for now." he glanced down at his still wrecked uniform. "Should I run some water over it before we ship it to Jan without any explanation?"

"If Captain America hasn't already filled her in," Scott pointed out.

"I'm sure he has, but it was a move meant to let her bitch about the damage," Logan said.

Scott shrugged at that. "I'm headed up," he said, thumbing over his shoulder. "Unless you need anything…"

"Maybe," Logan said. "Thinkin' about grillin' somethin' up. You interested?"

"That sounds pretty good right now, actually," Scott admitted, only then realizing how hungry he was.

"Then you can come with me and help," Logan said.

Scott nodded at that, following Logan outside with his hands in his pockets. It was nice to still have something to do, if he was honest, even if he was more tired than he could remember being in a long time.

Outside, crickets were chirping slowly in the darkness and the fresh smell of spring was heavy in the air. "Been a while since we did this," Logan said quietly after they'd put the main house behind them, slowly making their way toward the dock at the lake near the boathouse where K and Logan were still staying.

"Yeah," Scott said. "We've both been busy." He paused. "For good reasons. I mean, I'm glad you and Mom are together."

"You and me both," Logan admitted in a sigh. "Can't seem to get her to stop bein' one hell of a back up, either."

"I'm glad she was there," Scott said. "Or we'd both be there. Still."

"Yeah, I'm sure I'll hear about what happened later," he said. "But that guy … you never shoulda been within a hundred miles of him. Shoulda tried to stop 'em sooner. Before they got you in their sights."

Scott shook his head. "Wasn't your fault. You didn't give me these powers - and they made it pretty clear that's what the story was. Use me like a bomb."

"And they never would've been on your trail if you hadn't been with me." He shook his head. "I'm not sorry about keepin' you around. I'm sorry I didn't stop 'em before they were a problem for anyone but me."

"Dad, it's fine," Scott said.

"Bullshit."

"I'm fine. It's  _fine_ ," Scott said, a bit sharper. "I'm not blaming you at all. I saw how you redecorated a few of those creeps too. I know you left a mark on them - more than most people."

Logan let out a breath at that. "I was in a blind rage when I left 'em."

"All things considered, that somehow doesn't surprise me."

"What they did to you, that … was pretty well standard procedure."

"That doesn't exactly make me feel better."

"I know. But … you need to know none of it was on you."

Scott paused and locked his jaw as he sat down. "Mom already said that."

"Yeah. And she told me what she said to you.  _And_ that you weren't buyin' it."

Scott pressed his lips a little tighter. "Yeah."

"I know you gotta come to it on your own, but … they used you like a tool. There was nothing there for you to feel guilty over. I've been through it like that … little more in depth, but I know what that's like. And … I know what it's like to be manipulated into killing."

"I knew exactly what was going on," Scott said, his gaze on the ground.

"And you had no control over your body at the time."

"I shouldn't have looked," Scott said.

"And I shouldn't have gotten drunk at the bar where they picked me up all those years ago," Logan countered. "It's taken me a long time to see it, but that part's on them. You sure as hell didn't do anything  _wrong._ "

"Dad." Scott looked up at him at last. "Come on. You know my powers. All I had to do was  _keep my eyes shut_."

"And you know mine," Logan said as he looked at his hand for a moment. "I never told you how much control they had over me when they put the metal in."

"I thought it was unspoken. Enough control to put metal in your body…"

"That was the drugs," Logan said, resolutely ignoring the deflection Scott was going for. "This was something else." He shook his head, though now Logan was the one avoiding Scott's gaze as they stood on the dock at the lake. "I doubt it'd work on non -healers, but they had a way to turn off any control I had over myself. Like riding along while someone else is driving."

Scott was watching him intently now. "I didn't know that."

"Yeah, well. Not exactly something I want to talk about." He took a deep, shaky breath and let most of it right back out in a woosh. "I could hear the keyboards through the helmet - that was the controls. Or part of it. Keystroke here - claws came out. Hit another button they were gone. Didn't need me to participate at all when they were usin' me like an actual puppet."

Scott was quiet for a long time. "They had no right."

"You weren't in control of yourself any more than I was."

Scott let out a breath. "It just… feels like it was me."

"I know. But that was the drugs screwing with your perception. They used exactly what they needed to force you into it. And if you'd found a way to resist it, they'd have sicced a powerful enough telepath on you to just take your brain over." He finally looked up at Scott at that. "Doesn't work too well on me unless they're off the charts powerful. And even then, I can fight 'em."

"That's what they're after, then," Scott said, shaking his head - though Logan could finally hear more anger than guilt in his tone.

"And so you know, it's a totally different feeling than  _actually_ being manipulated into killing."

Scott nodded. "I'm sure he was building up to that," he admitted. "First thing he did after that was threaten to cut out my family."

"Yeah, that's how he works," Logan confirmed. "Or worked." He ran a hand through his hair. "No idea how that mess went down for your Mom, but she mentioned that he was one of the trainers we had in common."

"Yeah… I think this is one of those things we just… thank our lucky stars we're past."

"Oh, I still wanna know what he did to her. And to you," Logan said with a smirk. "I couldn't stand that guy any more'n I could stand Creed. And he was a lot nastier piece of work too."

"He was," Scott said. "At least I can deal with Creed in a fair fight."

"I knew Burr before he got the metal," Logan said. "It was never a fair fight."

"I put him through four walls and he laughed about it," Scott said, his eyes narrowed.

"Sounds about right," Logan said low - though as they chatted, K stepped out and handed them what they needed to cook dinner, kissed both of their cheeks and went back toward the door.

"Let it go," she called back to them. "He's a non-issue now."

"Thanks," Scott said - though he didn't specify if it was for the food or for killing Cyber.

They were halfway through cooking when Logan left Scott to it - to finish cleaning up  _himself_ , which gave Scott a few minutes alone handling things a lot like he had before he'd come to Xavier's. Near the woods. Food over a fire with his found family … and his  _other_ found family within view.

* * *

When Logan showed up to meet up with Kurt for a little spar the next evening, he brought with him a battered, old looking scabbard that completely didn't match up with Kurt's style of swords at all. And Kurt was sure to point it out. "What are you going to do with that old thing?" he asked, grinning impishly as he stuck his head out of the purplish-black smoke.

"Show you how it's done," Logan replied without missing a beat, smirking at him as they headed into the Danger Room.

Kurt was the one to set the simulation - since he, along with the rest of the team, had far more time on the board and interacting with the computer than K and Logan put together. "We'll see about that," Kurt answered, smiling widely as the simulation came into being.

The simulation was one that Kurt was intimately familiar with - the forests near where he'd been born in Germany. Thick, dark, and with a heavy fog rolling in that obscured the ground from view. Which was perfectly fine for Kurt, who had no intention of sticking solely to the ground anyhow. Especially after Logan had said he could use his abilities during this little sword fight.

Logan shook his head at the younger man and simply waited, his eyes closed and his head tipped down.

"Are we going to spar?" Kurt asked from somewhere in the trees.

"Waitin' on you," Logan replied.

Kurt grinned outright before several things happened very quickly. The sound of Kurt's sword unsheathing echoed between the trees, a muted sort of  _bamf_ noise followed twice, then a hollow thunk and some scrambling as Kurt caught his bearings again. Of course, he'd done a solid job attacking Logan, but  _somehow_  Logan had anticipated exactly where Kurt was going to appear and countered him as he lunged out of the smoke.

It wasn't particularly clean, and Logan hadn't drawn his sword, but the two of them were at least facing each other and on equal ground. Kurt blinked a few times, then rushed again, trying more or less the same trick, and once again looking entirely off kilter when Logan met him where he intended to appear. " _Vas_  …?"

Logan smirked, but didn't give away what he'd learned, instead waving him forward to continue their sword fight, and Kurt, to his credit didn't even consider backing down before he attacked properly - from the front, head on.

There were a few more hollow thwacks as Logan blocked Kurt's blows using the scabbard of the old sword, but it wasn't until Kurt was getting irritated did Logan finally unsheath it, and that … had Kurt letting out a low whistle on seeing the almost glowingly shiny bright damascus blade before he dove into another attack.

Logan stood his ground for Kurt's attacks - and when Kurt got frustrated, Logan drove forward, finally counter attacking instead of simply blocking and redirecting. His strikes were incredibly understated next to Kurt's flourishes and broad motions. Where Kurt was putting on a good show, Logan kept everything about the hilt of his sword near to his center, using as little effort as possible and moving to take advantage of Kurt's entirely different style. The blocks were more or less the same, though when Logan honestly pushed, his redirects left the tip of his sword dangerously close to nicking the webbing between Kurt's thumb and forefinger … which was what finally got Kurt to take a step back.

"This is supposed to be a spar, not an actual ... if you land that cut -"

"You'll drop the sword," Logan said, nodding. "Part of my training. Disarm over death."

Kurt shook his head. "And that training was…" He smirked and twirled his rapier. "Clearly not the same as mine."

"No, not the same as yours," Logan replied with a muted sort of smirk before he sheathed his katana. "Not bad though. You kept up pretty good. Be better if you weren't worried about how it  _looked._ "

Kurt scoffed. "What fun is that?" he asked.

"Quick win's always fun," Logan replied.

Kurt shook his head. "No, no - only in a real fight. It's  _far_ more fun to have a long, fun,  _beautiful, wonderbar_ spar."

Logan let out a low chuckle. "Yeah? Who's watchin'?"

Kurt shrugged. "Yes, well, no one for now. But one day, perhaps, some beautiful  _fraulein_ comes by while I am sparring…"

"I'm set on that," Logan said smirking a little wider. "So I don't need to show off."

"Ah, but showing off is fun no matter what!" Kurt said. "But then, I grew up in the circus. We have different opinions,  _ja_?"

" _Hai_ ," Logan agreed.

Kurt smiled at that. "I had no idea Scott's parents were so well-travelled. He speaks highly of you, of course, but it is fun to know these things."

"He's a good kid," Logan said. "And I'm pretty sure I've been just about everywhere once or twice. Maybe this little outfit'll get the chance to look around more."

Kurt smiled. "I certainly hope so. We have already traveled some, and the team went to Africa to get Storm. Perhaps we shall see all seven continents before long."

Logan looked around them and nodded. "Black Forest?"

Kurt nodded. "Of course, let me be clear - I am  _quite_ enjoying America."

"Get a chance to get out and meet some girls then?" Logan asked as finished putting the katana away. "Seein' as you like showin' off so much."

Kurt shrugged. "I have  _met_ girls, yes," he said slowly, some of his confident smile dropping. "I have performed in many places. Whether they care to stay is another question entirely."

Logan looked at him as if he was off his rocker. "What's the problem?"

Kurt returned the look almost exactly. "Logan, you say you have been everywhere. You cannot be so sheltered to think my appearance is  _normal_."

"Listen," Logan said, taking a step toward him and pointing one finger his way. "I know plenty o' guys that look a helluvalot worse than you could manage on a bad day that don't have any trouble. It's your attitude, not your looks."

Kurt scoffed at that. "I am blue, covered in fur, and I have a tail and an appearance that has on many an occasion prompted mobs with pitchforks - and priests with holy water. This is a very different question than ugliness. At least I do not have  _that_ problem."

Logan shook his head at that. "Didn't say you were ugly. It's your attitude. You walk in like you belong, no one'll blink an eye."

Kurt chuckled and sheathed his sword. " _Nein, mein Freund_.'

"Whatcha wanna bet?"

Kurt raised an eyebrow, though his swaying tail gave away his interest. "When I am run out by a mob," he said pointedly, "then I would expect you to make it up to me with a spar in  _my_ style. I'll teach you to twirl if need be," he continued, starting to chuckle to himself.

"You won't be run out by a mob," Logan said. "But I was leanin' more toward who's buyin' the drinks down at the Auger." He shrugged. "But you wanna keep it to sword fightin' … that's fine."

"Well, then, I hope you have plenty of money to spare," Kurt chuckled before he broke into a bow. "Let's go, then. I will take you to the Auger - and we'll walk down the streets together."

"Bring your wallet," Logan said. "Walk down the street first, just so you know you're payin' and I'm thirsty."

Kurt smirked at that before he simply took hold of Logan's arm and teleported them both upstairs - so they could trade out the swords for their wallets.

On the way out the door, K took a moment to give Logan a kiss as he told her what they were up to - and on hearing they were going to the bar, she simply smirked and leaned over to give Kurt a peck on the cheek too. "Have fun. Call if you need bail," she said.

Kurt was chuckling to himself at that. "Is that common?" he teased Logan as they headed out. "Scott didn't mention that…"

"The offer for bail?" Logan asked. "Only when I go  _without_ her."

Kurt chuckled a bit more at that, shaking his head to himself and finding that he  _liked_ Scott's father the more time he got to spend with him.

The two of them headed out in the new-ish Jeep that had been delivered by Agent Quartermain earlier that day. The one the department had taken was un-salvageable as far as Coulson was concerned, but he'd been thoughtful enough to find one that was in need with a little tinkering. In short order, Logan and Kurt were in the heart of Salem Center's busy shopping district.

"Go ahead, Elf," Logan said after they got away from the Jeep. "Flip off that stupid thing and start walkin'. I'll watch your back, you watch your attitude."

Kurt raised an eyebrow at Logan, but he finally nodded and then flipped off his inducer and simply started to walk down the street.

And to his surprise… no one screamed or accused him of being a creature sent from the Devil himself. And the longer that was the case, the more Kurt started to smile and really get his swagger back,  _gleefully_ strolling down the street and even flirting with a girl at one of the shops on the way.

Of course, he didn't see the one guy that had a chip on his shoulder headed Kurt's way because Logan had been sure to yank the guy into an alley and set him straight before he could wreck Kurt's otherwise wonderful afternoon out. By the time they'd gone up and down the street, Kurt really couldn't argue it. "Next time the bet'll involve you gettin' a phone number," Logan said with a smirk.

Kurt laughed at that. "I would not complain at all if I lost such a bet!"

"Good, cause now we're gonna go get a few brews, too," Logan said, draping an arm around Kurts shoulders. "And you  _did_ lose that bet."


	7. Weapon X Attacks

While Kurt and Logan were out drinking, Scott found himself nodding off. He hadn't gotten much rest while he'd been with the department, and he hadn't realized how much he needed it until he woke up well into the evening.

And then he was absolutely starving, so he went to grab a few things to put together a sandwich - not at all expecting it when Jean came over to kiss his cheek, since he was still pretty deeply in his own thoughts.

He startled and then turned toward her with a small smile. "Hey, Jean."

"How are you feeling?" Jean asked. "You've been hard to find lately."

Scott rubbed the back of his neck. "I wasn't trying to be," he admitted. "I was just… wiped."

"It's not a criticism," Jean promised, smiling at him.

Scott nodded at that and then gestured to the sandwich materials. "Want one? I've got everything out anyway."

"Impromptu picnic?" she asked, already moving forward to set herself up, too. "If you're up to it, of course."

"Oh, well, I wasn't thinking-"

"We could do the little kid thing and just stay in the living room with it," Jean said, smirking crookedly.

Scott couldn't help but smirk at that. "Hey, that actually sounds pretty good," he said as he layered some turkey and ham on the bread.

"It's been a long time since I've done that, but I always did it when I didn't want to really go anywhere … if that makes sense."

"Yeah, my little brother and I used to take graham crackers into the living room."

"My sister and I would put a big sheet over the dining room table and use that for our hide out," Jean said as she built her sandwich up. "But I'm very sure that if we did that, Bobby would try and move in."

"Good point," Scott said. "We can always take it outside. I wasn't saying no," he clarified. "I just hadn't thought of a picnic." He rubbed the back of his neck. "My head's not… really here."

"All the more reason to stay inside for now, unless you think you'll feel better in the fresh air?"

"Yeah, I don't think I'll be relaxed in the open until the department hits back," Scott admitted. "I'm waiting for it, honestly.

"Your mom was out at the barn a little while ago," Jean said. "I think she's putting on a show of 'fight me'."

"That really wouldn't surprise me," Scott said with a small smirk. "You should have seen how she was at the department."

"Tell me what happened," Jean said. "I haven't gotten much of a chance to see her outside of our group training sessions, and the one time I stepped into the booth when she was down in the room, she stopped what she was doing."

"Yeah, I think I finally understand that part, actually," Scott said as he started to put away the ingredients. "The department… they've got an observation booth." He closed one eye. "I was pretty out of it, but I remember that part, at least."

"I honestly don't know how she knew I was up there," Jean said. "The professor said the booth was soundproof and I didn't turn the lights on."

Scott shrugged. "I don't know - I just know if she figured it out, she wouldn't want to be part of it." He gestured for Jean to come with him as he carried the sandwiches to the living room. "But she got them back. Not even Dad could stop Cyber - but she did."

"Is that a good thing, then?" Jean asked.

Scott hedged, pausing in the doorway as he thought it over. "Don't… get me wrong," he said slowly. "I really believe in the professor's dream. And I think our team needs to be held to a high standard. But…" He let out a slow breath. "But I can't think of any other way we could have stopped that guy. I've been thinking about it, and I just can't come up with anything but what she did."

Jean was watching him with a perfectly open expression. "I don't know what happened, Scott, and I haven't peeked, so I don't know what she did - or what your Dad did either."

Scott frowned at that. "Maybe you should peek," he said at last. "I don't know that I can … really do justice to … any of it."

"I … don't want to push," Jean said. "But if you want me to, that's different."

Scott sat down with her and gave her a soft smile. "You're not the same as the guys they had," he assured her. "When you're in my mind, it's warm. I know my parents don't trust telepaths, but I can tell the difference, I promise."

Jean blushed across her cheeks and couldn't hide the smile as she looked down at her hands. "Well… if you're sure it's okay," she said before she bit her lip then very carefully leaned forward to kiss his cheek.

She reached out to take his hand in hers and faced him, brushing back a loose lock of hair behind her ear as she sat with him, and once he gave her another little smile she closed her eyes and reached up to touch his temple lightly.

She was exceedingly gentle as she slipped into Scott's mind, noting exactly how rough the mindscape was compared to how it usually looked. It was clear he was in deep turmoil over all of it, and she was trying to be careful as she looked at the memory he was trying to focus on. It didn't take too long, but it was clear when she had seen how the fiasco had ended with Cyber when she withdrew much quicker than she'd entered, and when she looked Scott in the face, she was nearly panting. "Oh my gosh, Scott," she breathed out before she threw all caution to the wind and darted forward to wrap her arms around his neck, pressing tight against him. "I'm so, so sorry they did that to you."

Scott looked surprised before he simply pulled her tight as well, ducking his head and resting his forehead on her shoulder. "You did ask," he said. "And … well, he's dead. So… I'll be alright."

"Yeah, but … I didn't know you were right there for all that," Jean said, holding on to him tighter.

Jean, it's okay, Scott projected, careful to wrap her up as gently as he could.

No it's not, she replied. And I didn't realize your parents could be … like. That. They're terrifying.

Scott gave her a dry smile. Yeah, Logan shocked me when I saw him let loose on Sabretooth the first time. As far as I've seen, they just… snap in defense of family. Which isn't the worst character flaw...

Still.

They'd never snap on you, if that's what you're worried about, Scott said with a small, teasing smirk.

Well I sure hope not.

Scott couldn't help but chuckle before he kissed her cheek. "Hey, if it makes you feel any better, seeing Mom kill Cyber wasn't high on the list of things that bothered me about that whole… ordeal."

"Seriously?" Jean asked, looking shocked. "That was so… brutal though."

Scott shook his head before he took Jean's hand and kissed it and then put it up to his temple. "Look again," he said gently. "Look at what Cyber was up to, what he said about my parents."

She paused for a moment, thinking it over. "Why don't you just tell me what you thought the worst part was," Jean said slowly. "Just … so I don't wander too far or you know. Cross any lines."

Scott raised an eyebrow at that and then nodded before he let her hand go. "Right. No reason to let anyone else get traumatized seeing that," he agreed.

"And I don't really want to wonder what exactly it was that tripped your mom off like that," Jean said.

"He messed with both of them," Scott said. "That guy… he has drugs, needles in his claws that make you hallucinate. He's a telepath, and he knows how to take your mind apart. Can you imagine being them - being stuck there with someone destroying your mind until you barely knew who you were… having senses like theirs going haywire with hallucinations?" He shook his head. "I'm glad Mom stopped him before he could do that to them all over again."

"Well … mostly," Jean said. "Your Dad was out of it, too."

"Yeah, but the mix was meant for me," Scott said. "He gets the lab to make it specifically. It could have been worse if he'd come ready for Logan."

"That's … horrifying," Jean said, curling into his side.

"That's why I want to make sure the team is safe," Scott said, settling with his arms around her shoulders. "Their telepaths pulled information about all of you. I don't want them to get a hold of you and use that." I'd never be able to live with that.

"So … do you know what your parent's big plan is?" Jean asked quietly. "Or … what we could do to help plan?"

Scott frowned. "I have a theory," he admitted. "Dad's done it before. Misdirection. That's what Mom's doing right now - making sure they know where she is. My parents know they're high-value targets, so if the two of them can draw attention away from us… we take advantage of them not looking our way and make them regret it, right?"

"No offense, but that's insane, Scott."

"There's not really much we can do against a fully-armed insurgence of black ops trained soldiers until we kill their power dampeners. Misdirection is a good tool - as long as it's not our only one," Scott defended. He tapped the side of his temple. "As soon as the powers are on again, I'll give them the show they wanted."

"And if they've planned for that?" Jean said. "If they've gone after your parents that often, then they have to know they won't make it easy."

"We've got a good team, Jean. As long as one of us can get the field down, that's all we need." Scott let out a breath. "But… I could talk to Captain America. He was pretty unhappy with this whole mess. I can see if he and the team have a few trackers we can use - like what's in my panic button. If we need to, we'll track down anyone who gets caught up. Before anything bad can happen."

"Right. Or your mom can work over Iron Man. Again." She smirked. "How does he not end up getting stabbed for that? By your Dad, I mean."

Scott smirked. "I blew up one of his cars," he said, the smirk stretching into a smile.

"You did what?"

"I was still figuring out my powers," Scott said. "Totally an accident… but I wasn't all that sorry."

"You did not," she said, laughing with a wide grin.

"I did," Scott said, starting to chuckle himself. "That was back when he was really, really flirting with her too. They'd gone out on a few dates, actually, so… again, not sorry."

"So your Dad just let you handle it for him," she said, starting to laugh with him.

"He didn't know I was going to do that," Scott defended. "Besides, as soon as we got away from the Avengers…" He smiled. "I knew they were going to end up together."

"Oooh, a romantic story or one that you were too young to witness?" Jean teased.

Scott laughed. "Hey, I just went upstairs and left them to their room. That they shared. On the main floor."

"Oh, well … alright then. Picture painted," Jean laughed.

Scott shook his head, still smiling. "Honestly, I think that might be the biggest difference between them and my birth family," he admitted. "Mom always taught me and Alex to be gentlemen. Take it slow. More about attention than … other … stuff." He had sort of trailed off and turned red by that point, dropping Jean's gaze.

"I'm pretty sure they're setting a bad example for everyone," Jean laughed. "And no one is complaining."

"Except Bobby. Who thinks there's a murder dress."

"He's not exactly wrong though," Jean pointed out.

Scott rolled his eyes, though Jean couldn't see it. "You can't take his side!"

"I'm not!" Jean promised. "It's just … they do have …they have a way about them when they're taking someone down, don't you think?"

"I don't know, Jean; that's just how they are." Scott smiled. "I'm not complaining."

"Well … technically, Bobby would be wrong anyhow," Jean said. "It wasn't a dress."

Scott shook his head at that and kissed her temple. "You're hilarious."

"I'm just trying to find ways to agree with you," she said before she leaned over to give him a longer kiss. "And I'm very glad you're back and alright."

"I'm glad I'm back too," Scott admitted before he pulled her into a kiss too.

"Alright, who started this and should I get the hose?" K asked as she stood in the doorway with her arms crossed.

Scott and Jean quickly split, both blushing, though Scott quickly said, "You're one to talk."

"You bet. That's how I know what I'm seein' when I see it," she agreed, not budging from her spot. "Talk."

Scott shook his head at that, even as Jean said, "We were just having a picnic for lunch…"

"How romantic," K said, smirking at them now.

"And then we got to talking and…" Jean trailed off.

K tipped her chin up at that and let out a little 'hmm.' "Well. When you're done with dessert, come find me."

"Both of us?" Scott asked.

"Nope, just her. You need your rest."

"Mom…"

"What?" K looked back at him with her best, most innocent expression.

"Mom." He gave her a dry look. "You don't have to hover. I'm fine. And I like Jean. And I'm not doing anything wrong. Neither is she."

"I'm not hovering, I know you like her and I never said anyone was doing anything wrong," K replied, listing it right back to him before she put on her best tight smile in return.

Scott shook his head and then turned to Jean. She means well, he projected her way and gave her a little kiss. Come find me when you're done getting the intentions talk or whatever this is.

Don't worry, Jean said before she gave him a little kiss. I'll find you. Jean took a moment to glance over and see that yes, K had left them alone for a moment - and she was sure to take advantage of it as she gave Scott a little bit more involved kiss. "Maybe we can have our next date in front of the fireplace. I think I like staying in with you."

Scott couldn't help but grin at the kiss. "I'm in favor."

Jean gave him another bright smile before she got up and got moving, though she wasn't expecting K's first question to be anything other than a riot act.

"Have you been talking?" K asked, arms crossed low.

"We have," Jean said quickly.

"Just talking?"

Jean bit her lip. "Well, he asked me to just look-"

K let out a breath that read exactly how irritated she was with that answer. "That's not the point."

Jean shook her head. "I asked him what happened, and it was easier for him to just show me, that's all," she defended.

"Of course it was easier," K said, letting her tone go to a more patient one. "It's a cop out. For him. He needs to open his mouth and talk."

Jean wrapped her arms around herself at the elbows. "I didn't think… he's done that before, though," she said. "It's not new… He showed me other memories…."

"No, but this trauma is new," K pointed out. "And you have to treat new trauma differently or he'll use your talents as a crutch." She shook her head. "It's not really your fault. I haven't been around enough and your mentor has the same lazy streak. He was better when I was rebounding ping pong balls in his office."

"I'm not lazy," Jean argued. "I'm trying to help."

"The method is lazy," K said, then shifted gears. "When you have something on your mind, does it make you feel better just to keep thinking about it or to get it off your chest and say it out loud?"

"Well, yes, I like to talk…"

"That's what needs to happen. He's been keeping all his trauma locked up for hs whole life. Break that really crappy cycle by helping him say it out loud."

"We did talk, though," Jean said. "Not that part of it, but we did talk."

"Good," K said. "Just revert to the talking part. Lean on that. Please."

Jean nodded, looking honestly upset. "I'm not trying to mess anything up."

"I know you're not, sweetheart. And there's only so much you can know without someone telling you. I'm not mad at you." K shook her head. "On the contrary, I'm glad he's talking to you about any of it. Just … keep going with the talking."

Jean smiled lightly at that. "He's a lot better talking about you and Logan," she said. "You mean a lot to him. Just so you know."

"The feeling is entirely mutual," K said. "I don't mind if he talks about us. It's getting him talking at all, and that's a vast improvement."

Jean nodded and pushed her hair behind her ears. "He showed me what happened between you and Cyber," she explained.

"Ah," K said, nodding slowly. "That."

"And… for the record…" Jean bit her lip. "I'm sorry he ever hurt you."

K shrugged. "It was his job. I was never anyone he wanted to deal with."

"Still."

"Really. It's nothing for anyone living to apologize for, and for the guys that are dead that should grovel, I wouldn't listen to it from them anyhow."

Jean nodded. "Well… you know the team has your backs, right?"

"They should have each other's back. Logan and I will be fine."

"You're part of the group," Jean said.

"Fringe."

"Still part of it," Jean insisted. "You're Scott's family, if nothing else - and that means something too."

"If only for that," K said with a nod. "Go back to your sweetheart, just … don't come crying to me if you get pregnant."

Jean turned a brilliant red. "We're not…"

"Yet." K waved a hand on the way out. "I'm not stupid."

"He's a gentleman," Jean insisted - partly because of what Scott had said before and partly because she was red as a tomato.

"And he's been a gentleman that's learned from Logan too. Who can also be an exceedingly kind gentleman."

Jean shook her head, but by then, K had slipped off, so she could only go back - very red-faced - to where Scott had taken their plates back to the kitchen to wash them off.

Scott looked up when she came in and smiled - not realizing how badly she was blushing with the glasses on. "Well, you're alive," he teased.

"Yeah, she wasn't mad at me," Jean replied, though she was clearly a little stiff.

"I told you she means well," Scott said as he put the dishes aside. "I promise, she's just teasing most of the time. She knows you're not some evil villainess."

"Oh, no. I know. She made that pretty clear," Jean said, still blushing brightly.

Scott smiled and took her hand to give it a squeeze. "Hey, relax," he said gently. "She wouldn't bother talking to you if she disapproved."

"I know … really. I know. I just … wasn't expecting that, that's all." She finally gave Scott a little smile. "Doesn't mean she doesn't know how to push buttons though."

"Oh, she's great at that," Scott said with a smirk. "It drives me nuts sometimes too. When I first met her, I thought she was trying to find new shades of red to turn me."

"I can relate," Jean admitted. "Scary to think what she'd be like if she was a telepath."

Scott smirked. You'd still be my favorite, he teased, bumping shoulders with her.

I should tell you what she did, Jean replied. See if that gets you to turn a shade or not.

Scott shook his head. I thought she was teasing you.

She was but it would apply to you too.

Alright… I'm almost afraid to ask now.

Jean giggled at that and raised one eyebrow. "Ready? I'll just show you." When Scott nodded, Jean simply projected out the last bit of their conversation, skipping over the biggest part of it, of course and focusing only on the teasing.

Of course, when it got to the pregnancy tease, Scott turned such a bright red it was almost purple. "We wouldn't- I wouldn't-"

"I know, but she's just … like that."

"Yeah. She is." Scott cleared his throat and shook his head. "Right. Well. Let's… ah…" He gestured with one hand. "Take a walk?" he offered at last.

"I think that's a great idea," Jean said, ready to simply get away from anywhere that K might attack again.

It didn't take long for the department to hit back - as Logan had predicted. They had really only waited enough time to confirm that all three of the members of their little family were there before they hit. Hard.

The X-Men were all prepared for a fight - at least as much as they could be. As soon as Warren was the one to spot the first helicopters headed their way, they went into action - and so did Logan and K.

For the team, that meant Charles had linked their minds so that they could work together - their first priority being to find the inhibitor field generators that they knew would be on soon so that they could really let loose once their powers were in play. And with Charles linking them up, they all knew when the field turned on, because they lost contact with one another.

Not that it was going to slow them down. They had a plan - mostly consisting of "search and destroy." Warren in particular was flying high - trying to find the generator in the helicopters while the rest of the team searched on the ground.

Logan and K had of course, slipped off to flank who they could, though they'd been sure to give a few soldiers a glance of one or the other to keep their attention on them rather than the kids that were searching. Their little attempt play diversion was a good play, too. The soldiers were clearly looking to recover, so the push to find them concentrated to the outskirts - not near to the school as Logan and K started fighting the good fight, even without their healing as gunfire and shouts started up. They were doing their best to avoid getting hit while they started stripping whoever they could of their weapons and turning them on the soldiers. Which, was another great distraction for the kids. Even if it was scaring the crap out of most of them.

The team was holding their own with the forces focused on the two ferals, though they were all trying to use their powers, testing to see when the field went down…

Warren was the one to find it, diving into the helicopter and more or less pushing the generator out the open door as he tumbled behind it, though he couldn't avoid the bullet that grazed his temple - knocking him senseless. It was just luck that Storm saw him and sent the winds to catch him before he could fall too far while he was still stunned, too.

But that meant the powers were back on - and just like that, a sharp kzapt sounded - and several helicopters were blasted out of the sky, while the others were blown entirely off-course… except for the one that was filled with blue smoke a moment before Kurt teleported into one to the sheer terror of the soldiers inside. There was a short exchange of blows before Kurt took over the controls and set it to crash land, teleporting out neatly as the alarms went off and the chopper went into a tailspin - set to crash land just outside the grounds.

The team was doing an excellent job of tearing into the soldiers as much as possible… and Charles had just synched up the team again as Jean reached out to try and find Scott's parents so she could know if they were safe. So she was just in time to hear them outright joking around with each other.

"Lookit that," Logan said with a clear tone of amusement. "We got 'em surrounded and they know it."

"Yep," K agreed. "All both of us. Poor lambs."

Jean snorted to herself at that - though before she could reach out to them, she heard Hank let out an angry-sounding near-roar and turned to see that some of the soldiers had him surrounded… and collared.

Logan and K had turned at the roar and shifted into gear to try and get to him - or to the incoming helicopters - before they could get Hank loaded up. It wasn't until the ferals ran over a few soldiers that it became clear that it was exactly what the soldiers were banking on as they started to close ranks around the ferals - and gain a little distance from the two of them. Logan and K either didn't see the soldiers holding back, rifles raised - or they were pushing too hard to get to Hank to care. Either was perfectly believable.

And then, all of a sudden… everything and everyone stopped.

"What… the heck?" Bobby blurted out when he found he could move… but none of the soldiers or Logan and K could move. It looked as if someone had simply paused the entire battlefield, and as it was, both ferals had their claws out. K was wearing a snarl, mid-spin - her claws millimeters away from the soldier holding Hank that had turned to see her and still had a look of pure terror on his features. Logan was attacking the soldier that he had just noticed had his rifle raised and his sights on K - both arms drawn back in a full roar. And Hank … Hank was staring at the protective scene with wide eyes before he got into motion.

"Get Hank out of there," Scott called out - as Hank was starting to peel soldiers' hands off of his arms and looking more furious than they had seen him before.

Everyone inside, please, Charles projected to the team. Jean, if you wouldn't mind… I believe you and I can ensure that these soldiers believe there is absolutely nothing there for them.

Of course, professor, Jean replied, already closing her eyes to help herself focus.

The two telepaths worked their way through the soldiers - and in the meantime, Scott put a hand on Hank's arm to get his attention. "If you hold still for a second, I can pry that open."

Hank huffed but did his best to hold still, clearly irritated at the indignity of it all. "A collar," he hissed. "Of all the low life tricks …"

Scott nodded, frowning hard. "Yeah, I know," he said before he gently hit the collar with a small blast and then pried it open. "Help me with my folks?" He tipped his head toward Logan and K, who were still frozen - likely to keep them from fighting the soldiers who were all frozen too.

"Is there a reasonable way to avoid the sharp and pointy sections?" Hank asked, already looking for a way to move either of them.

Scott let out a breath. "Yeah," he said, giving Logan an apologetic look before he hit a point that had Logan retracting his claws. "Not common knowledge, even for a medical student, I'm betting."

"Ah, no," Hank agreed, though he waited to make sure he understood where exactly the pressure point was before he tried it with K too. "Extra muscles and tendons … certainly not on the books."

Scott smirked lightly. "Family secret."

"Apparently," Hank agreed before he made his way over to pick up Logan. "I'll take the heavier one. Just this once."

Scott smirked at that as he slid his arm under K's shoulders, though as he and Hank headed for the boathouse, Scott had to look over his shoulder. "Never seen the professor do something this… big."

"It was certainly impressive," Hank agreed. "I didn't realize that he even did that to this degree." He paused and looked at Scott carefully. "I thought it was harder for the telepaths to get through to the feral mind."

"It is," Scott said. "But … he's a lot more powerful than he lets on. It might also be why he asked Jean to help."

Hank smirked and the subject fell by the wayside for the time being as they made it to the boathouse and laid Scott's parents down. "How far back should we stand when they're allowed to move again? I was thinking perhaps the other side of the lake might be a safe starting point."

When the suggestion was removed, both Logan and K startled, and Logan's immediate reaction was a bit more startling than K's as he put his back to the wall, growling incredibly low and obviously ready to duke it out again.

Scott glanced at Hank before he put his hands out and dropped his voice low. "Dad," he said quietly. "Come on. Fight's over."

The growling didn't back off for a long moment, even as Scott kept talking, and it wasn't until Logan closed his eyes tightly and sidestepped away from everyone that he started to focus right.

"You back?" Scott asked when Logan seemed to finally let his shoulders drop.

He nodded, and replied with a soft 'mmhmm' clearly not trusting himself to speak, all things considered.

"The professor's dealing with the soldiers," Scott said, still in that same low tone. "They'll report back that there's nothing here."

Logan took a moment to look around himself, though he didn't relax as they listened to the helicopters engines overhead and across the property where they'd landed on the lawn. "We gotta go," he said finally.

"We don't," Scott said. "It's handled, Dad. It's fine. You're fine."

"They'll be back," he said. "Unless they got more."

"We talked this over already," K said quietly. "Protocols."

Scott frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"They'll keep hitting the same leads until they get what they're looking for. They won't stop unless they have new leads."

"You'll be safe here with your team," Logan said. "And we'll be back."

Scott still looked a bit shocked, though. "How long?"

"Long enough to let 'em see us on the road," Logan said after he cleared his throat a little.

"I could go with you," Scott offered.

"Or you can stay and keep training your team for what the department can do," Logan said.

Scott frowned. "You better be back by my birthday," he said at last, though it was a more crisp tone than before.

Logan looked up to catch his gaze. "We needed to chase a lead down anyhow," he said quietly. "This'll just make it dual purpose."

"That wasn't what I said."

"Yeah, I heard you. We got more'n enough time to be back well before then."

"Good."

Logan nodded once at that and finally seemed to relax a little. "We'll keep in touch all the same."

"I'll keep an eye out," Scott nodded.

K rolled her eyes at the both of them. "Kurt has utterly lost his most dramatic title. Both of you - knock it off." She crossed the room, and though her hands were still shaking slightly, she reached up to give Scott a hug. "We're not going off to get caught or die. We'll be back."

Scott let out a breath but returned the hug tightly. "Yeah. You better be."

"Caramel Mocha, my sweet sweet thing - you can relax. You're well protected here. And I've got one of Tony's comms. We're good."

"It's not me I'm worried about, but if you give Tony an excuse to say he got to be your knight in shining armor, I'm going to blast him into the Atlantic," Scott said, giving her a small sort of smirk.

"Seriously?"

"Step up from his car."

"He …Scott. He isn't even serious," K laughed.

"Yeah, but he's obnoxious, and if you're going to be gone all that time, I don't want you coming back with him being like that."

"Is Steve acceptable then?" K asked, one hand on her hip.

Scott smirked. "I guess."

K popped up on her toes and kissed his cheek. "Love you. We'll be back before you know it with a few people off our list."

Scott shook his head but gave her another squeeze. "Don't take too long, alright?"

"Alright," K said, squeezing him back. "We'll be back before you're a father. I hope."

Scott let out a noise from the very back of his throat and turned beet red. "Mom."

"Don't listen to her," Logan said finally, coming over to give Scott a quick squeeze. "We won't give you a hard time if it goes that way."

"Dad."

"What?" Logan said, sounding much more like his usual teasing self.

Scott shook his head. "You know that's not - we're not even -"

"Could be," Logan said.

"Dad."

"Might help your stress level."

"Dad."

"He's not wrong," K added. "Helps him out."

Scott shook his head. "Yeah. That's not happening. Especially since you're coming back before my eighteenth. Come on."

"Izzat some kinda significance?" Logan asked, looking perfectly confused.

"Dad, I'm not going to be a teenage-" Scott let out another noise. "I can't believe I'm having this conversation right now."

"Better now than after you're a father," Logan teased, though he kept a mostly straight face.

Scott shook his head at that. "You're both insane."

"In the files," K sang out.

"Watch the usual methods of communication," Logan told Scott, dropping the teasing for a moment. "You'll know where we are by the chatter."

Scott straightened up and nodded at that. "You know I'll be there if you need me."

"If it goes dead, there's really only one spot that can hold us," Logan said.

"Then I'll flatten that one."

Logan smirked crookedly and took a moment to write down the coordinates. "Middle of nowhere. But we'll be back before you know it."

Scott pocketed the paper and nodded. "See you soon."

Logan nodded and a moment later both he and K had grabbed a backpack and simply headed out of the door, leaving they keys for the jeep behind since they were slipping out through the trees anyhow.


	8. Split Family

"This is not how I wanted to leave him," K said under her breath as she and Logan found their way to the freeway.

"Me either," he agreed. "But they'd have come back with twice as many next time if we stay."

"I know," she said in a breath. "I just hope he realizes that this is more than just dragging them away from him."

"He's a smart cookie," Logan said with a smirk before he pulled her over for a kiss. "He'll figure it out if he hasn't already."

The car was right where Coulson had promised it would be, and as soon as the two of them had climbed in, K took off her coat and started to change. "So … Nebraska then?"

"That's what I'm thinkin'," Logan agreed. "Might as well tackle that mess while we're at it."

It didn't take them more than a few minutes to get on the road, already plotting out where they would need to stop to remove the trackers and tracers that they knew Coulson would put on though …

"We should hang onto 'em if we can turn 'em off," Logan said when they did stop to trash them.

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," K agreed - then cracked open the first bug to remove the energy source. "Just in case."

* * *

"Your boyfriend is trying to kill himself, and he's going to take us all with him."

Jean looked up to see Warren looking a bit sore as he sat down across from her - not that she could entirely blame him. Even though they hadn't heard a peep from the department except for chatter far from the institute, Scott seemed determined to stay on high alert. And not everyone else was happy about the pace.

"Well, what are you coming to me for?" Jean shot back, scrunching up her nose at him.

"Pity," Warren said without missing a beat, though he grinned when she gave him a dry look for it. "Seriously, Jean. The guy is so wound up,  _Bobby_ is developing a complex just by standing too close to him."

"And?"

"And maybe you'd be doing us all a favor if you just… you know…  _un_ wind him."

Jean blinked at Warren for a long moment, turning steadily redder, before she shoved him telekinetically halfway across the room. "You're  _not_ funny."

Warren was grinning even as he held up his hands. "I'm not even kidding, though. Admit it - you're tired of the nonstop 'red alert' training too."

"He's got good reason-"

"Yeah, I wasn't asking about that part of it," Warren said, shaking his head. "We  _all_ get it. Any one of us came back those shades of black and blue and we'd be total headcases too. But come on, Jean. Have a heart. You'd be doing  _all of us a favor._ " By the time he said that last part, he was back to grinning, and Jean let out a noise of pure frustration - especially because she knew he wasn't even the only one on the team thinking along those lines.

"It's  _not_ my job-"

"Team morale, Jean," Warren teased. "Team morale."

Jean narrowed her eyes at Warren before she picked him up and flung him again - this time a little harder. And when he kept grinning, she put him to sleep.

"Why are you so  _touchy,_ Marvel Girl?" Bobby asked - looking perfectly innocent.

"I will absolutely do the same thing to you," Jean warned.

"What did I do?" Bobby asked, both hands up near his head. "I was just … asking what he did. You don't have to be so  _cranky_ about it." He scrunched his nose up at her and started to walk past. "Always the same with you guys. Everyone knows what's going on but me," Bobby grumbled.

"Trust me - you don't want to know."

"Yeah, yeah," Bobby said, waving at her over his shoulder. "That's what they always say."

Jean shook her head to herself, though now that she was thinking about it, she could hear most of the rest of the team thinking along the same lines. Which was annoying enough on its own. But the fact that there was just enough truth in what they were saying…

She let out a frustrated noise. She needed to at least  _talk_ to Scott.

Scott, however, was already hard at work looking at the readouts from their last simulation. They had been improving - but it seemed like now they were just … leveling out. And considering the amount of force that they'd just seen from the Department, Scott couldn't stand to see them plateau  _now_.

Jean frowned when she caught where his thoughts were and then knocked on the doorframe. "Still here?"

"Yeah, I just … needed to see where everyone stands. I won't be long, but you should probably go on ahead … I have to check the intel feeds still, too …"

Jean bit her lip before she sat down beside him. " _Or_ ," she said pointedly, "we could have a picnic in the living room."

"Yeah, we can still do that too - I just … you know how fast things go south when they go, so I need to keep track of things. Just in case."

Jean shook her head - and then tried a different approach. "You're going too fast," she said. "Aren't you the one who taught the team  _pacing_ in training?"

"But I'm not even doing anything but look at screens right now," Scott pointed out, entirely missing her point.

Jean rolled her eyes. "Okay, that's it," she said, leaning over to flip off the screens. "I'm a step away from levitating you out the door and dunking you in the lake, Mr. Summers."

"That seems like an exaggerated response, Miss Gray."

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. "It's the first thing you've said to me since I walked in that wasn't  _work_ related."

Scott let out a breath and let his shoulders relax slightly. "Okay, So I'm a little distracted."

"So have a picnic with me," Jean said, reaching over to take his hand. "The computers aren't going anywhere, the team is worn out, and I haven't seen you outside of training in  _way_ too long."

"It hasn't been that long, has it?" Scott asked even as he got to his feet.

"Um, yes. It has." Jean shook her head and leaned over to steal a kiss. "I know you're working hard, and I get it. I do. I think it's great. I  _like_ watching you lead the team. But not all of us run on whatever weird juice your whole family operates on that keeps you going," she teased.

"I thought you liked coffee, Miss Grey," Scott said with a smirk. "Or was that just a ruse to get me to make you a latte?"

"Oh, you're going to have to do that now," Jean said with a delighted laugh as she stole another kiss.

"Any special flavor? Because I'm told I have a specialty."

"I need one of those  _famous_ Caramel Mochas," she laughed. "Definitely."

Scott couldn't help but smile at that. "Those, I can do. We'll just need a espresso machine first. "

"Then that's what we're doing tomorrow night. You and me - a date night and a quest for an espresso maker."

"Shopping for coffee machines?"

"After you buy me dinner," she teased.

"Message received," Scott said with a laugh. "I'll slow down enough to caffeinate."

" _And_ …"

".. and caffeinate you too?" he replied, smirking crookedly.

"It's a start," she laughed, pulling him by the hand upstairs so they could get their picnic started.

* * *

Logan and K had taken their time snaking around the east coast - just to screw with the Department. Which .. honestly had likely led to some of Scott's anxiety. Especially when the first blip he'd heard had been Washington DC.

Of course, that was a straight up baiting - and Logan had gone right into the office in charge of funding the department and scared the life out of not only the secretary, but the guy behind the door that Logan could  _smell_ was hiding like the little rat that he was.

But - after a few weeks of laying down false leads and outright baiting the Department, it had come time for them to check in - and Logan made a point to call since he was reasonably sure that Scott's anxiety probably had him through the roof.

He'd just gone through their old cabin in Wisconsin - and the woods nearby where Logan had stashed some cash when he called the Institute in Westchester. "You still breathin', kiddo?" Logan asked in place of a normal greeting when it was Scott who had answered the phone.

There was a beat where Logan could almost hear the relief. "Yeah, you?"

"Last I checked, still kickin'," Logan replied. "Had to stir 'em up a little bit, but they're havin' trouble followin'. You know how K is on the road. How's things with your friends?"

"Just fine. We've been running a few new sims."

"You takin a break?"

"Yeah, promised Jean I'd make her coffee before I went back to the booth."

There was a pause and Logan did what he could to keep his smirk in check. "Somethin' special, or just …  _coffee?_ "

"Just coffee. Come on, Dad."

"Uh huh. Sounds like a code to me."

"Well, it's not. We have an espresso machine here now."

"It  _should be_  some kinda code."

"You're gonna have to give up on the idea of being a grandpa, Dad."

"I'm not givin' up on nothin'," Logan replied, the smile clear in his voice. "Just givin' you a hard time."

"Well, hurry up and get back here and do it in person."

"We're in Wisconsin, so we're not even halfway to where we were headed," Logan said. "Be patient. Besides - doesn't that give you a buncha time to sneak around behind your mom's back? Shouldn't you be pullin' all kinds of crap right now?"

"Come on. Of everyone in our family,  _I_ am not the troublemaker."

"I dunno what you're talkin' about," Logan replied gruffly.

"Oh yeah. Everyone believes that."

Logan chuckled at him for that. "Well, anyhow. Our leads are goin' slow right now. You know we were don' more than just playin' bait, right? Thought you'd get there on your own, but I had to ask."

There was a long pause on the other end. "I know you and Mom are set on looking into him, but if you don't have a lead…"

"I have a lead," Logan replied reassuringly. "Just nothing new. All signs point the same way, and we gotta make a stop a few states south of here to look into it."

"Just be careful."

"Aren't I always?"

"Still."

"We'll check in again when we get to another  _familiar_ spot, but relax until then if you can."

"To be honest? Knowing who you're looking into, I don't think I will until you get back."

"We got more stops before we come back even if this is a dead end."

"Still."

"I'll check in. I promise."

"Alright. Tell Mom hi for me too."

"Will do. See you soon, Scotty."

* * *

Jean  _had_ been dreaming about a trip with her family, and then she wasn't. Then, she was looking at a town she'd never seen before, with people walking around and chatting with each other. And then, it was all red.

By the time the red cleared, the scene was entirely different. It looked like an earthquake had hit. And Jean couldn't see any of the people she'd seen before in the mess of leveled buildings and torn-up roads.

She woke up with a gasp, and it took her a few moments to realize that she was in the institute. But the shock and horror took a lot longer to dissipate.

As soon as she had even a moment to think about it, she knew exactly what it was she'd seen. But she didn't know what to  _do_ with that information - other than to get herself some cocoa and try very hard to go back to sleep.

She hadn't expected to see Scott in the kitchen as well - not because she didn't think he'd also woken up after what she'd seen, but because he had to have dreams like that  _all the time_. It had been long enough that she knew it had to be an every night thing, so it wasn't exactly midnight snack material.

… though when she got closer and saw that he was reading some printouts, that explained that. He was awake. So, it was time to get to work.

He looked up when she walked in and raised an eyebrow. "You're up early."

"Couldn't sleep," she said.

"Sorry to hear it." He tipped his head toward the coffeemaker. "It's just … you know, not caramel or anything but if you want something, I'm almost done with this…" He gestured to the printout, though when she peeked, she knew it was already something he'd read through the night before. It was more something to do than something he  _needed_ to do.

"No, that's alright," Jean said, biting her lip. She was half watching Scott out of the corner of her eye as she grabbed a mug for herself and then sat down. They were quiet for a long moment before she cleared her throat. "What's got you up so early?"

Scott shrugged. "Things to do."

Jean shook her head, still watching him carefully. "I had this horrible dream," she said at last. "And I think you had the same one."

Scott's head came up fast at that, and when he saw that Jean was holding his gaze, he looked distressed. "Oh, Jean, I'm so sorry- I didn't realize I was-"

"I'm okay," she promised quickly.

"No, I - you shouldn't have had to deal with that," Scott said, blushing at the realization that his dream had kept her up. He was rubbing the back of his neck as he searched for some way to apologize, but Jean cut across him before he could get outwardly too worked up.

"Neither should you," Jean said, though when that had Scott frowning. His gaze had fallen back down at the readouts, though he honestly wasn't absorbing anything on the page - feeling too guilty for the projection ….

So he didn't really see it as Jean crossed the distance and pulled Scott over to hug him tight. Scott let out a breath, though he hugged her back just as tightly. "I'm fine."

"You're not," Jean said. She was too tired to pretend any different, really. "It's okay. But you're still upset, and I  _saw it_ and I get it and I'm upset  _for_ you and it's  _not your fault_ and-" She took a deep breath before she simply shook her head and then kissed Scott hard.

For just a second, it was clear Scott was surprised, but when Jean didn't let up at all, he decided to just… go with it until they both broke for air and they were grinning hard.

 _If that's the solution to a sleepless night…_ Jean teased, and Scott laughed.

"I'm sorry I woke you, but I'm not sorry you're here," he agreed before he pulled her into a longer kiss.

* * *

Time was starting to slip past, and Scott continued to check the computers to see where exactly his parents were - or where they'd been leaving a trail for Weapon X to follow. They'd been sure to send a few boxes back to Scott - and to his surprise, they'd been things that he thought was lost - like … much of what had been left behind in Oregon. Apparently, if he went by the letter tucked in, K's old friend that ran the cabin rentals had been sure to clear out their cabins before the reinforcements could show up.

But outside of that, and a few very short phone calls - one of which Scott wasn't around for at all that Bobby answered - the two ferals were on their own path, though since Scott knew where they were headed, and what they were trying to avoid, it was clear that they'd skirted all around Nebraska. Which meant it was just a matter of time before they ended up back at the orphanage that Logan had found Scott in. Which didn't do much for hs nerves at all.

In fact - knowing that they were edging closer and closer to Essex had him more tense and the nightmares were getting more frantic and desperate. More detail was starting to bleed through where there had been none to the point that Scott wasn't sure if what he was seeing was a memory or his own imagination twisting the visions he'd had under Cyber's influence.

Which meant he was projecting his nightmares without meaning to. Again.

He didn't know which nights he was doing it until he either saw Jean tired the next morning or saw her come down to the kitchen, so he always made enough coffee for two people at this point, feeling pretty lousy that his girlfriend was  _also_ feeling lousy.

One night in particular was really nasty - a combination of reliving Logan finding him in the basement of the orphanage and watching Cyber pin Logan down, with Thornton in the background promising that both of them would be excellent weapons… and the look of  _fear_ on Logan's face was a remembered one. He knew it … he hated it, and he couldn't get the image out of his head.

After he'd woken up from that one, the pure  _panic_ had taken a long time to dispel. And it was strong enough it had him waiting in the kitchen  _hoping_ Jean wouldn't come down.

So when she  _did_ , he let his shoulders drop entirely. "I'm sorry."

"Scott, I am very sure that you didn't want to see any of that, let alone project it," Jean said.

"Yeah, but it's my memory," he said, getting up to pull a chair out for her. "Not yours."

"But how much of that is memory and how much isn't?" Jean asked. "It seemed a little different from when you showed me last time."

Scott let out a slow breath. "I'm… honestly not sure," he admitted.

"Well … maybe it would help if we talked through it," Jean reasoned.

Scott frowned at that. "Maybe," he said at last. "What … did you see?"

Jean let out a breath. "Well … a lot. But … the most striking thing was probably how big that guy looked compared to your Dad."

"That part's real," Scott said, frowning at the memory. "Dad wasn't getting out of that pin and he knew it."

"Which is weird. I've seen him get out of worse in training," Jean said, then smirked. "I may have peeked into one or two of their training sessions after the fact."

Scott smirked at that. "'May.'"

"Hey. You  _know_ I like to peek. What makes you think it's all mental? Especially when they both STOP fighting when someone opens the door. It's frustrating."

"I guess it would be. I've just seen them in action so I don't really think about it too much…" Scott trailed off and shrugged before he tipped his head Jean's way. "Thing is, Dad was panicking and I've never seen him do that. I know he can do amazing things, but with that guy…"

"That … is worrisome," Jean said, settling in and resting her chin on the palm of her hand. "You're sure he's gone?"

"Yeah." Scott nodded. "If he wasn't, he'd have found me or my parents by now, I think."

"Don't try to act like that's not part of why you keep checking though," Jean said.

"It's not like the people we deal with have a very good record of staying dead," Scott pointed out. "Essex is still around, not to mention Creed." He shook his head. "I don't think we should kill … but there are some fights…"

"Scott, from what I saw of your memory of the guy - when it was fresh and not touched by dreams or time - I have to agree."

Scott let out a breath at that. "I wish it wasn't the case."

"That would make life easier," Jean agreed. "Though the professor still thinks everyone is redeemable … I think I'd have to see into someone's mind to know for sure first."

Scott nodded. "I think everyone can be redeemed if they  _choose_ it," he qualified. "But sadists won't choose it. And that's what Cyber was."

Jean nodded at that. "Then I'm glad he's not an issue for your family, Scott."

"Yeah."

"But that also means you can probably begin to work past him," Jean added. "The way your Mom put him down … I think that counts as closure."

Scott let out a breath of a laugh. "I guess so," he said. "I don't think it sank in until we were gone, though. And it's not like he's the only one they have to send after us. Creed's still out there, for one thing."

"No, but I thought your Dad handled Creed pretty well, doesn't he?"

"When it's a fair fight, yeah," Scott said. "Why do you think Creed came after me?"

"Yeah, but he's got your Mom to tag-team with. That has to count for something."

"Oh yeah. And the three of us together mean he's not even a threat," Scott said. "I'm just saying there are still sadists out there working for the department, and not everyone on the team has Dad's training, or Mom's creativity, or my blasts."

"Well … if that intel is anything to go by, then the sadists they have left are following your parents."

"Yeah." Scott frowned. "And they're marching right toward another nightmare."

"I know you're concerned, but they really are a force, those two."

Scott shook his head. "Jean, don't you think I know that?" he said.

"I'm trying to ease your mind a little, you know … hearing it helps sometimes, right?"

Scott let out a breath. "Yeah. I know. And I know you're trying to help. It's just…" He rubbed the back of his neck. "This guy…" He paused for a long moment as he looked for the right words. "I can't think about him without it freaking me out. And it's not just panic. The professor thinks there's something  _in_ my head he did to frighten me into … you know… not fighting back." By the time he'd finished, he was far quieter and staring down at his mug.

"It's … possible," Jean conceded. "Or … it could just be that you know this guy might have done horrible things to your Dad at some point - and they couldn't get loose, too. So  _maaaybe_ it's a mental block that happened on it's own."

"Maybe part of it," Scott said. "I don't know. You and the professor would know better than me about that kind of thing."

"Well he knows a lot more than me," Jean said. "I'm still learning. A lot."

"You're doing great," Scott assured her.

"And for all the nightmare fuel they threw at you? So are you." Jean drew her shoulders up to her ears at that. "Everyone projects nightmares. They can't help it. I don't think it's something anyone can control. Bobby projects the most ridiculous things, but … even the professor slips sometimes ... "

"Yeah, but you don't wake up in a cold sweat from them, do you?"

"Cold? Me? Never. Hot, sticky misery … sheets stuck to my legs ... "

Scott smirked. "Maybe that's just me then."

"Maybe it's all that time up north … the cold sunk in," Jean teased.

"Must be," Scott chuckled. "And then you - you even have a warm telepathic touch. Must just be in your blood."

"Must be," Jean said before she slid closer to him. "Are you still cold?"

Scott had to laugh at that and shook his head as he pulled his arm around her shoulders. "Not anymore, thanks."

"Well … if you don't need the extra heat, maybe I should head back to bed …"

"What?" Scott shook his head, looking for a moment as though the rug had been pulled out from under him. "No, wait. That wasn't-"

"Are you sure? I mean … we could get a blanket and snuggle up on the couch. Has to be an old movie or something, right?"

"I'll get the blanket down if you pick the movie?" he offered, now blushing lightly.

"That sounds perfect," Jean agreed. "Meet you there?"

"Don't take too long, Miss Grey."

"Not a chance, Mr. Summers."


	9. Something Sinister

The orphanage hadn't had the leads that K had hoped for, but there was something that had caught her attention enough for her to reach out and ask Tony for help digging - seeing as it was only slightly more advanced tech-wise than what was readily available. It had only taken Tony a few days to get the intel decoded for her, and in short order, the two ferals found themselves headed for a very isolated spot in the desert - which neither was overly happy about.

But … just when they thought it was a dead end, they discovered that of the names that they'd found of the staff members all but one were legitimate names, and the last one - though it had been listed on the original papers that Logan had gotten surrounding Scott - that last one no one seemed to know. Which was odd, to say the least, and it was more than enough to have the two ferals sharing a suspicious look.

It wasn't entirely beyond belief that someone at a hub office wouldn't know about the details of an orphanage, so instead of doing the big shakedown there, they headed back toward Omaha to dig at the source.

Neither of them could believe for a  _second_ that a person could be solely in charge of an entire orphanage one year, and within a few years later NO ONE would have any clue as to who they were talking about. It reeked of a cover up, though they didn't know if it was from an outside force, like Weapon X, or if it was from telepathic means. Either way, they were going to get to the bottom of it  _before_ they reached out to Scott in hopes that they could give him some good news.

On a whim, Logan took K down to the diner he'd first scented the creep out at. After they'd gotten a solid rapport with their waitress, he dropped the doctor's name - asking if he was still working out of the area.

"Sorry, mister," the older woman said. "Don't know anyone by that name, and I've been working in this diner for ten years."

"Must be mistaken on the town then," Logan replied with a friendly sort of smirk, though as soon as she left, he met K's gaze and very discreetly shook his head.

"Different name?" K asked quietly, but Logan was still shaking his head.

"No way. This is the guy that altered Scott's memories. Prolly covered his tracks on the way out."

She bit her lip and the two of them quietly finished up so they could get moving … though they didn't get too far. They'd made the short walk from the diner to the truck, but when they got up to the truck, there were several abnormally large men that seemed to block out the sun behind them. Logan didn't need to tell her - it was clear they were a threat, and before one could get a grip on either of them, both little ferals dove into the fight.

The first guy nearest Logan lost a hand, but that didn't really seem to slow him down as he rushed forward to simply try and pin Logan to the point he couldn't  _swing_ to land another hit. Which would have been hard enough on its own if not for the fact that he watched as one of them took a handful of K's claws to the gut only to grab a hold of her arm and pull her in.

It only took a few moments for the walking brick wall of a man to wrap his arms around her chest and squeeze until she couldn't get a solid breath in before K let out a sound of pure panic- and though Logan tried to fight his way out - all that really meant was that there were several large men perfectly capable of doing the same to him - with no one to get through but him … and as soon as she passed out, the one guy was already carrying K off.

Logan roared and fought back, though after he nailed one of the men in the face, two others dove in from behind and pinned him to the ground under several hundred pounds of muscle. As with K - it wasn't that he didn't have the strength to start with … just no leverage … and with a few more minutes, no breath to fight with either.

The ride in the back of the van was short … or it felt short anyhow, though Logan couldn't keep track of the turns for some reason. Everything felt foggy, unfocused. But he  _knew_ it wasn't Weapon X. Not … dressed like these guys were. They weren't operatives… about as smart as operatives, but …

They were  _too big_. Too strong, and too  _quiet._

The man at the end of the ride was familiar enough, scent-wise, though once more, he looked different. He was paler than before, though he still had that same red diamond and red glowing eyes - and the same pleased smile on seeing Logan.

"I had wondered when you would come back," he said delightedly, looking past him to K. "And what have you brought me, then?" He didn't wait for either of them to answer before he walked toward K and tipped her chin up, his eyes a slightly brighter red as he pushed into her mind while she was still fuzzy.

K couldn't quite think properly to fight back - though some things are just automatic, and as Essex was starting to delve deeper, she kicked out and made decent contact below his beltline.

The man took a step back and then sneered. "Remarkable. You've managed to find one just as willful as you are. So similar in so many ways. I thought you were one of a kind, Logan … but now I have to wonder  _how_ similar your little bride is to you." He nodded to himself. "We'll find out soon enough." He directed one of the large men to carry K off in one direction - kicking and fighting- before he turned toward Logan. "And you, my boy… I'm disappointed. You come all the way back here and leave behind the test subject you stole from me."

Logan's eyes narrowed. "He's not a  _test subject_ you creepy little jackass."

Essex's smile only widened at that, though, as he pawed through Logan's surface thoughts. In particular, Logan's thoughts along the lines of how he would kill Essex to protect Scott… "Your  _son_ ," he said, looking for a moment like he didn't know how to react before he finally broke into a laugh. "Excellent. It's so much easier when there are attachments, when you group together like that. He won't be hard to find, then."

"Keep the hell away from him," Logan growled out.

Essex laughed at that. "And how do you think you're going to stop me?" He shook his head. "No, no. You see, Logan, you may have adopted him, but that boy  _belongs_ to me."

"Have your bodyguard drop me and we can discuss this one on one."

"It's not a discussion, Logan," Essex chuckled, positively tickled with seemingly everything he learned as he directed the large men to drag Logan to where K was already very well restrained- strapped down to a table with no way to turn her wrists to get her claws out properly. "The boy is mine - and so, as it happens, are you. Your little wife is an intriguing opportunity for study, of course."

"Not. Interested," K said between her teeth.

"No, of course - you thought you would come and slay the dragon, didn't you? The Bogeyman under your adopted son's bed?"

"No, just the pervert that's been stalking him his whole life," K replied conversationally as one of the large men started helping to prep her for whatever  _experiments_  required her losing her shirt and jeans.

Essex made a noise of irritation from the back of his throat. "No understanding. No  _concept_ of what it is I do."

"You altered his  _mind_ ," K said. "What could I possibly be missing? That's a perversion if I've ever heard it."

"My dear girl, I  _directed_ the boy. Far more than I had the chance to do with your husband - but then, I had a bit more practice between the two studies." Essex grinned her way. "It is nice to have them return to me."

"Yeah, looks like both of them are rushing back," K said, yanking her arms hard - and at least getting the tall blank man cutting her jeans off to flinch.

"What do you  _want_?" Logan cut in. "Let her go. She's got nothing to do with you."

Essex turned back to Logan and smiled. "I should think you'd know what I want," he said. "I want to study mutantkind, as always."

"I don't know who the hell you are, how the hell'm I supposed to know what you're after?" Logan snarled out as the men holding him finally stepped back after finishing their job restraining him.

Essex's expression changed to an almost angry one. "Yes, and  _that_ poor decision came from the Department as I understand it. The worst example of short-sightedness I have seen in years."

"What do you know about  _that_?" Logan asked, some of the fire slipping since he clearly hadn't said a word about the Department.

Essex smiled almost pityingly. "Once, long ago, I  _rescued_ you. And you trusted me."

"You're out of your damn mind," Logan said low.

"No?" Essex smiled. "Let me show you." For a moment, Logan could only see flashes from a time long before his most recent memories. All of it of course, was from Essex's point of view. First, and most importantly, Logan was in a cage - and Essex, after having watched what amounted to a side show with an electrified cage, ordered the door opened. That flashed into the two of them standing in a large library, with Essex's hand on Logan's shoulder as he offered him a chance to make all the emotional pain of life simply go away, but … that was all that he was given. Little flashes from a lifetime or more ago. But all it really did was have Logan shaking his head in frustration as he did his damndest to block the man from digging deeper into his head.

Essex chuckled. "Really, Logan. I promised you I could help you. And I still can."

"Don't want that kind of help," Logan replied through gritted teeth.

Essex waved a hand. "No matter. You have a little  _family_ now, and there is so much to explore. I'll want to see the effects of the department's machinations, of course… compare your mutations, rates of healing…I'll need to see what  _genetically_ is possible between the two of you … " It was clear he wasn't paying them any heed as he went to his medical instruments and started making notes. "And of course, I expect you to tell me where Scott is…."

"Being babysat by Victor Creed," K said suddenly. "You should go find him. I'm sure you'll have a grand time."

Essex waved her off. "I don't have time for lies and glib responses. I've already seen in your mind that you think he's safe."

"Oh, are you afraid of Uncle Victor?" K asked in a consoling tone, even if she nearly spat the words out.

"I don't have the inclination to go on a wild goose chase for your entertainment. Nor would I waste my time with a clearly inferior specimen."

"Why don't you just ask questions," K suggested as she tried to find a way to pull her hand free. "It would be quicker."

Essex smirked as he approached her, scalpel in hand. "As if you'd be truthful with me? Perhaps I'll give you one chance, then, young lady. Where is Scott?"

"I thought you wanted to know about  _us_  for your little obsessive experiment. You made it sound like you were a scientist." K couldn't help but tip her chin up a little as Essex's smirk stretched into a smile, his hand hovering over her torso.

"Well. That was your one chance to behave. Somehow I'm not surprised that you squandered it," Essex said simply - before he got right to work.

* * *

It had been over a week since Jean and Scott's first midnight rendezvous after the projected dreams began. They had more or less accepted the fact that there were going to be nights they'd both wake up from the same nightmare - but they had decided to embrace the problem. There were  _worse_  things than meeting up with your sweetheart in the still of the night, after all.

There was something nice, and warmly  _intimate_ about meeting up with each other in the middle of the night to share coffee or cocoa and spending a few hours just the two of them, just… talking and growing closer.

Jean was trying hard to keep in mind what K had said about  _talking_ rather than diving into Scott's mind - even if it would have been easier for both of them if they took the second option. But she also knew that K was in her corner, and she knew that the conversations they'd had showed a level of  _trust_ that Jean couldn't ignore, either.

So, she tried to default to talking rather than peeking into Scott's mind, and she was pleasantly surprised by the conversations that came from that.

She really  _enjoyed_ talking to Scott late into the night - about absolutely everything. When it was a repeat nightmare - and it so often was - there wasn't as much need to talk about what they'd both seen, but they had both talked about their families, their interests… everything else. Jean got to learn more about the family Scott had before he met Logan, and Scott got to learn about how Jean had nearly broken down when she first got her powers.

And every time it happened, they would talk until they were too tired to talk anymore - and fall asleep in the living room tangled up with each other.

So when Jean woke up that morning, she had to smile up at Scott when she realized he'd been awake longer than she had… but hadn't wanted to wake her up, so he'd stayed right there, one hand on her back.

"Good morning," she said tiredly.

He smirked and kissed her forehead. "Hey. Looks like we fell asleep again."

"Oh, like we were trying not to," she laughed, which had him smirking hard.

He grinned and pulled her into another kiss, and Jean couldn't help but push to make it a little longer, shifting so that she was turned into him as his hands got tangled in her hair...

"Get a  _room_."

Both Scott and Jean were blushing hard as they pulled apart to see Bobby making a scandalized face as he stood in the doorway.

"Seriously. No one wants to see that. Get. A. Room. This is a public area you two." Bobby shook his head before he turned to walk to the kitchen instead, muttering under his breath the whole time about "things I don't wanna see."

By then, some of the blush had gone, and Jean was smiling again as she turned to Scott. "Not sorry," she whispered - which got a sharp laugh out of him before they got wrapped up all over again.

* * *

Logan had no idea exactly how long it had been since Essex had gotten a hold of him and K. But he knew when they woke up in a hotel on the edge of Omaha that they hadn't checked themselves in. Logan had almost startled when he woke up, tensed and ready to fight - though that went from instinctual nerves to borderline panic until he found that K was still sleeping next to him.

He took just a moment to check on her and make sure she was alright before he sat up and looked around the modest room. The clock radio near the bed was flashing 12:00, which was, of course, no help at all. With one last look over his shoulder to check on K, Logan got to his feet- surprised to find he wasn't entirely steady.

He put his hands out to catch his balance as his head swam, then took a few stumbling steps toward the window to try and figure out where the  _hell_ they were. His whole body was still buzzing from trying to catch up with all the healing he'd had to do, and he was very sure that was why K hadn't quite gotten moving, too.

But … when he looked out the window, he couldn't help but swear when he saw the first advance scouts from the Department. Of course they'd caught up. And of course it was when the two of them were tapped out on their healing reserves. Logan rushed back to K to try and wake her up. "Come on, honey, we gotta move and we gotta do it now."

She was hard to wake enough to open her eyes, and when she finally did, it was to sleepily frown at him. "What are you doing?" she asked - her voice raspy from  _overuse_.

"The department found us," Logan said - which got K to force herself more upright. Swearing under her breath as well. Logan got her to her feet, and started to panic when he realized that not only was she more out of it then he was on waking, but that the panic button he'd had to call up Steve was missing. "We don't have much time, they're on the street a few blocks down and closing."

"Damnit," she said, trying to move a little faster - and only succeeding into bashing into the wall with her shoulder.

There was a shout on the street - and the sound of muffled gunfire - which had Logan looking to see how close they were … when he positively froze and watched one of Essex's men as he choked out the Department's advancing soldier. "What the hell …"

Logan found himself transfixed as he watched several more giant men step out at different points around the building. All of them were apparently wearing something bulletproof as bullets ricocheted off of them while they advanced on the groups of soldiers. There was more shouting from the soldiers as they began to converge to get  _around_ Essex's men - but that was enough to have Logan turning to get K moving faster. "We gotta go out the back way. Now."

"What's going on?" she asked, but Logan was somehow paler as he rushed her along.

"He doesn't want the department to pick us up," Logan told her low as he ushered her out. When they hit the street, they could hear  _screaming_ from the department's men, and sirens were starting to echo from deeper in the city. Logan locked his jaw as he rushed them through the lot, pausing and doing a small double take when he spotted the truck that they'd come to Omaha in … waiting for them. He swore under his breath, but he also wasn't about to pass it up. Not when it was clear that Essex was  _letting them go._

"We're gonna need to go by Steve and Stark before we go back to Scotty," Logan said as he helped K into the truck.

"I'm not opposed, but we have work to do here still," she said.

Logan couldn't help but smile as he let out a laugh under his breath. Leave it to her to stay on track even when they'd been  _attacked_ by the creep they were hunting. "I'm not goin' back until we know we don't have trackers implanted or something."

"Oooh, yeah. That's definitely smart," K agreed, though it was clear she still wasn't quite up to speed. She was still putting pressure to her temples, and her eyes were closed as she sat back in her seat.

Logan watched her for just a moment then took a hold of her arm to pull her - getting her to lay down on the bench seat, using his leg for a pillow. "I'll get us outta here. Just … rest up. We'll plan later." K nodded, eyes closed still as her body seemed to relax on its own while Logan found a back trail to get as far from Essex and the Department as possible.

He didn't like that he couldn't remember everything that had happened. And he really didn't like how tired K was acting. Almost docile for her. As soon as he had the truck in gear, he picked a road and headed out. His mind was racing - one hand resting on K's shoulder as she slept on, but Logan honestly couldn't go too far before he found a quiet turn out with an escape route. When he stopped, he put the truck in park and gently slipped out from under K then almost frantically searched the truck for new trackers. There was no way in hell that guy had kept them for as long as he had and didn't put a tracker on them. No. Way.

He was half draped under the hood when he realized that he was probably overdue on reaching out to Scott and making sure he was alright. Logan swore under his breath at that, realizing he  _had_ to see how long it had been since the last call before he made a move, not trusting that there wasn't some way that Essex wasn't  _monitoring_ them.

Distracted, Logan finished his sweep of the car then took a moment to rifle through their knapsacks to see if there was anything in the clothes he'd been put in. When he'd found a full change of clothes, he stripped on the spot to change - then threw the clothes he'd been wearing in a barrel before waking up K to do the same.

Though, to the people down the parking lot it had to be an interesting show to see K wordlessly strip down and put on exactly what Logan handed her - only to scoot closer to him once he climbed back in before they left again.

When they  _found_ a diner, it was in the middle of the afternoon, and as soon as Logan had ordered for both of them - since K still was visibly out of it - he headed over to the payphone to make his call.

Of course it was just his luck that no one was home, and when the answering machine clicked on and started the message as a greeting, Logan automatically glanced at the newstand to see if there was something on the front page reporting about mutants in general or anything  _big_ going on. But when the machine beeped … "Hey. It's me. We got caught up … kinda lost track of time. But we're back on the trail again. I know it's a little past my last check in, but … I don't want you to worry. We're fine. You know that. We're always fine." There was a pause as Logan tried to figure out how to end the call without setting off any alarm bells for Scott - or anyone else. "We won't be back right away like we planned," Logan said, turning to watch K as she rested her head on her crossed arms. "We'll be swingin' by Steve before we get back. Shouldn't take long. Just - somethin' I need to pass by him and his crew. Take it easy, kiddo."

Logan hung up and let out a breath. There was so much he  _couldn't_ tell him. And as K rested  _still,_ Logan made his next call to Steve - to ask that he kept it quiet, and that Steve make arrangements for them to do a couple body scans before they could even think about going to Westchester.

But first … his bride was still off kilter, and the only thing that Logan knew for sure worked when you weren't in your right mind was a weekend or better in the woods.


	10. X-Men - Take Two

****

 

For the X-Men, of course, it wasn't all down time. While Logan and K had been gone, they were still doing their best to run missions often, go after mutants in trouble… and sometimes clash with a few other mutants as well. Apparently, the Magneto person they'd met before had been amassing his own little team, and they were obnoxious - but not unbeatable by any stretch of the imagination.

It seemed like the X-Men were running into that group more lately, so when Charles let them know there was a mission to help a mutant in trouble, the team decided to go in force just to deter the kind of garbage they'd been hitting lately.

Still, it's not like they were expecting anything more than having to put up with a self-centered pyromaniac or whoever it was that Magneto sent out to deal with them. So they were pretty relaxed as they boarded the jet, chatting easily ... or, in Scott and Jean's case, telepathically.

The biggest topic of conversation was, of course, the fact that this mutant in trouble was on a remote island - and there was already talk of taking some time to just…  _relax_ once whatever the trouble was got cleared up. Surprising no one, Kurt and Warren seemed to be the ringleaders of this encouragement, though Scott was  _trying_ to keep everyone on task.

"Come on, guys," he said.

"What? Is it so wrong to want to spend a bit of time on the beach if we're speedy and  _efficient_?" Kurt teased. "You could use a tan,  _Mein freund_."

"Imagine the tan line from the visor," Bobby stage whispered. "Big ol' bar right across his face."

"I doubt he'd leave it on to tan," Kurt said. "No reason he couldn't switch to the glasses or go without …" He paused and smirked. "Of course, it won't do you any good when we put the sunscreen strategically on your back."

"Let's focus on this mission  _first_ ," Scott said, shaking his head at both of them.

"And  _then?_ " Warren prompted, one eyebrow raised.

"We'll see."

"We're sure he's seventeen and not seventy, right?" Bobby asked Warren. "I mean, we've actually checked into this?"

"I  _am_ starting to wonder," Warren said.

Scott shook his head at both of them, though whatever comment he might have made turned into a smirk when Jean pointed out,  _It could be fun to take a beach vacation._

_Yeah, alright. But still-_

_No one here is going to blow off the mission, and you know it,_ Jean replied.  _Besides,_ I  _will handle sunscreen, I promise._

_I'm kind of curious what Kurt has in mind for Bobby, to be honest …_

Jean couldn't help but chuckle.  _Let's just say he'll be celebrating Christmas in July with that pattern._

Scott's smirk stretched for just a moment into a smile, though he schooled it quickly.  _That makes it worth it._

 _Great._ Jean positively beamed his way.  _I think we all deserve some sand and surf._

_All the more reason to hurry up and help this person, right?_

Jean nodded, falling into a more serious expression as she turned her focus away from a possible beach vacation… and toward reaching out to try to find this mystery mutant. Admittedly, they didn't know much about this person, and Jean was still working on her range, but the closer they got to the coordinates, the deeper Jean found herself frowning.

"I… something's not right," she said, her lips pursed together and her eyes narrowed.

"What have you got?" Scott asked. "You've never had trouble before … maybe it's their ability …"

"Maybe," Jean said, though her tone made it clear she wasn't entirely convinced. "It doesn't feel like any mind I've ever felt before, though. It doesn't feel… right." She let out a frustrated sound. "I don't know how to describe it."

"Well… is that good or bad?" Warren asked. "Maybe it just means this guy's powerful."

"Maybe  _she_ is," Storm said.

"Either way," Scott said, "be careful."

Jean nodded. "I don't know if it's good or bad. It's just… different. And  _big_." She let out a breath. "It's hard to explain.

"Do you have a bearing for us, Marvel Girl?" Scott asked in a little more businesslike tone - just trying to keep everyone on track.

Jean straightened up a bit and then concentrated and nodded. "Right," she said, projecting the coordinates to Scott so he could land the jet.

The island before them wasn't massive, compared to others they'd flown over on the way out - but it was still pretty large, and judging by the noise level on the island -completely uninhabited. There were no ambient sounds outside of the lapping of the waves on the shore. No birds. No insects … just … the beach in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

Jean rubbed a spot on the center of her forehead. "It's worse here," she whispered to Scott. "It feels…  _wrong_."

"It's got to be their powers then," Scott said quietly. "Just … try to keep your head clear if you can. We can split up and find them. Comb the island."

Jean nodded at that, though she made it a point to stick with Scott, still rubbing her forehead every once in a while as they waded deeper into the island.

"I have to agree with Marvel Girl," Hank said with a frown as they got further into the vegetation. "There's something amiss here. A habitat like this should be teeming with life."

"Okay, but I never thought I'd be creeped by  _quiet,_  and yet here I am," Bobby said, going so far as to do a full-body shiver.

"Just … stay focused," Scott said in an undertone. "Everyone … let's get this over with. Pick a partner and spread out. Stay in radio contact. Call in if you find  _anything_."

"A bird would be nice right about now," Bobby muttered, sticking close to Hank and still obviously freaked out.

Jean bit her lip as she watched everyone head out: Storm and Kurt; Bobby and Hank; Piotr and Ilyana with Warren… "This doesn't feel like anything we've dealt with before," she told Scott. "A whole island?" She shivered. "I don't like this."

"Could be  _why_ this mutant's in trouble," Scott said, trying to be reasonable, though the further they got into the trees with still no sign of life, he had to admit that he was a little freaked out too.

"Maybe … we should check in with the others," Jean said softly. "I can't … really  _see_ them."

Scott nodded. "Better safe than sorry, right?" he said before he went to his comm. "I need a check-in from everyone."

"Nothing to report thus far," Hank replied. "And I do mean nothing. It's the strangest thing."

"Strange how?" Scott asked. "You had to have found something by now."

"That's just it," Hank said. "I've yet to find signs of life outside of the plant life here. And for as established as life is on this island, that shouldn't be the case."

"Is now really the time to be asking about ecosystems?" Warren asked.

"Perhaps the animals know something we don't," Kurt put in.

"Thanks, Kurt. I really wanted to freak out even more today," Bobby said.

But instead of the expected sly response… there wasn't anything from Kurt's end over the comms after that.

"Nightcrawler?" Scott frowned when there was no answer. "Storm? What's going on?"

"We're closest," Warren said when Storm didn't answer either. "We'll check it out."

"Stay in contact. I don't want to lose you too," Scott said.

"Yeah, sure thing," Warren replied. "I'm just … going to take a little flight real quick. I'll tell you what I find once I find it."

"Alright," Scott said, though he was drumming his fingers against his side the whole time as they waited for a report…

...and when Warren went silent too, it was that much more alarming.

"Alright, new plan," Scott said. "Nobody separate. Everyone converge on my signal. We need to stick together or we'll keep getting picked off."

It was a sound theory - but when absolutely no one answered Scott, he let out a noise of pure frustration and turned to Jean. "Can you find them? At all? I know this island is messing with you-"

"I can try," she said, then closed her eyes - her hands at her temples as she tried to focus. But even as she got going, Scott could see that she wasn't doing well … especially when the nosebleed started. "I can almost … almost."

Scott frowned, torn between telling Jean to stop and wondering how close 'almost' was - but the decision was more or less made for him when  _something_ seemed to grab him around the chest, yanking him off his feet and  _into_ one of the trees.

The foliage was literally closing in on him - and Scott barely had enough time to hit the panic button built into the comm that would alert Charles to just how very far south the mission had gone before he couldn't see anything but green.

* * *

The distress call to Charles back in Westchester wasn't at all what he was expecting from his  _team_ , but … now that it was out there, Charles started to second-guess why exactly it was that he couldn't quite  _see_ the mutant that had felt so terribly distressed when he'd found them on Cerebro.

And to make matters worse … he didn't have much going for him in the realm of a back-up plan for them. But he did have a few mutants he'd been watching that he'd already reached out to in a soft attempt to see if they might want to join the group.

It wasn't ideal to ask anyone to join up when his entire team was missing - particularly Scott, who had thrown himself into training not only himself but everyone around him - but he didn't have the kind of rapport with the Avengers that he'd have liked to ask  _them_ for assistance.

While he hated to do it, he reached out to try and build up a new group in hopes that they'd at least be able to do a flyby and see what might have come to pass with the others. He was still hoping that someone had intervened. That at least would explain why he couldn't reach out to them - even using Cerebro.

But … even with a quick turnaround on the two young mutants he'd found, two was not going to be enough to lodge a rescue, and against his better judgement, the most reasonable solution Charles could come up with was to reach out to his old friend. They'd been meeting up for years - once every two weeks to play chess and talk politics - though the talking part was always the end of their visits, since the two of them simply couldn't see eye to eye on that subject. And though he'd have liked to expedite the arrangement … he had no reasonable way to reach out to Erik without simply waiting for time to pass. So … he got the two young men convinced to come in and try out his school as he waited for his standing meeting with Erik.

It just happened that the second young man arrived a bit late - it was a long way from Hawaii - so he arrived at the same time Erik did. He was trailing a couple suitcases behind him and gave Erik a bright smile as he passed him by to where Charles was waiting for both of them.

"Hey, you must be Professor Xavier," he said, extending his hand.

"And you must be Alex Blanding," Charles said in response, unable to stop the warm smile. "Welcome."

Alex grinned toward Charles and then toward Erik. "So, are you one of the teachers here or…"

"No," Erik replied, his tone low as he shook his head slowly. "I am simply a good friend of the  _professor_."

"Right on," Alex said, nodding. "So, is there a tour, or do I just pick a room, or…" He gestured between them. "You look like you're busy."

"We were just discussing a mission for the team," Charles admitted. "You're welcome to join us if you like; then I can give you a tour."

"Oh, right. You told me about that. Peacekeepers, right? What's the deal? Daring do to do?" Alex asked, smiling a bit to himself at his wordplay.

"Yes, something like that," Charles replied before he drew in a deep breath and started to give Alex the rundown on what his team was trying to accomplish - with Erik listening and walking along the whole way… with one eyebrow raised when Alex wasn't looking toward him. The walking tour went through the mansion at large, until they found themselves in the lower levels at the ready room - where the map of the area was all laid out, showing where the team's last communication had been from. "We're trying to find the best way to recover them. This is, for all intents and purposes, a rescue mission - unless we're told otherwise."

Alex nodded and waved briefly to the other three young men - two of which Erik had brought with him - who also seemed to be set to join the party. "Any chance it's, like, a shipwreck or something?"

"Not likely," Charles said. "They had made a good landing and had been on the island for some time before we lost communication."

"Okay, follow-up question," Alex said, holding up one hand. "Is there any chance you got the island wrong? Because there's a few wildlife sanctuaries out that way… poisonous snakes…"

"This was a relatively new island," Charles replied. "Uncharted until very recently. But no. The initial reports from the team was that there was no visible wildlife."

"Huh." Alex shrugged. "Okay, well, I got nothin', then."

"Yes, well, what is it that you can  _do_?" Erik asked with a smile. "If we're to be working together for any amount of time, it would be good to know your strengths."

"Well, that's sort of why I came, you know?" Alex said, rubbing the back of his neck in a way that reminded Charles instantly of Scott. "This energy just…" He made an explosive gesture with both hands. "...  _zap_ … comes outta me."

"I have a place that you could demonstrate …"

"Okay, sure - like an audition?"

"That … is an oversimplification," Charles said as Erik perked right up.

"Yes. Yes, that exactly, my dear boy," Erik said with a smile as he gestured grandly for Alex to head down to the open double doors. "By all means."

Alex paused and looked over his shoulder at the other boys before he shrugged and headed out, looking a bit more serious now, if only because he was concentrating. "Okay. Well. I'm still working on it," he said slowly. "But if I just…" He narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists - and then the next thing anyone saw, a bright blue beam shot across the lawn, and Alex wound up on his back looking up at the two much older men. "Yeah. That."

"Yes, that seems to be … big," Erik said as Charles patiently tried to ignore Erik.

"We'll need a means to help you focus," Charles said. "So that you might at least stay on your feet." He frowned a little deeper before he redirected to Hank's lab, where he knew that Hank had been working on something specifically for Scott - though it hadn't worked properly on him.

"Yeah, I'll be honest, I'm just glad it worked this time," Alex said as he got to his feet and followed the two of them. "Pro-o-o-o-bably sleep deprivation helped? Feels like it only happens when I'm stressed." He held up his hands quickly. "Not that I'm not totally on board to help with rescuing or whatever! I can totally search an island."

"That might be wise to start," Erik said over Charles' shoulder before his voice dropped to a whisper. "Worst case scenario, you lose another one."

"We have another young man that should be able to show you around. In the meantime, I believe an old friend could take a look at this," Charles said, ignoring Erik's jab and gesturing to Hank's prototype, "and see if it can be adjusted to your specific abilities."

"And a few of my associates will be arriving soon to fill out the rescue party," Erik said with a smirk.

Charles was clearly not enthusiastic as he looked up at Erik. "Why don't you join me while I call Dr. Richards, Erik. I'm sure you'll have ideas that might be useful to this particular project."

Erik smirked at that. "As always."

* * *

It had been a little while since Logan and K had reached out to contact Scott - but after all they'd been through, it seemed like a good idea to go to the Avengers to get cleared before heading to Westchester … and that was all well and good until they actually showed up.

Coulson looked alarmed at the request to scan them - and instead of his usual simple agreement … he threw K off completely when he answered their request by stepping over Tony and Steve's questions with a resounding "Why?" Both ferals stared back at him for a moment, and before either of them could cook up a reasonable response, he continued. "Were you picked up by the Department? Because I have to tell you - we need to know if that happened. We've been watching the chatter. There was  _no_ indication that they'd captured you."

"No," K said quickly, shaking her head. "They didn't - it's just … can you do this for me this one time, please? It's not like I ask for  _scans_ ever. Call it … easing my paranoia."

"Unless you don't want to admit that  _your_ team has bugs on us," Logan added as he crossed his arms, half-glaring at Coulson.

"Don't try to redirect," Coulson said. "There has to be a reason that you're spooked enough to ask for something like this - and I want to know what it is."

"Ah … just … step around the nosy agent," Tony said as he darted around Coulson and his suspicious-looking expression to gently take a hold of K's arm. "Sweetheart, if you want a scan - we'll scan you. It'll just take a minute."

K let out a breath as Tony led them down to the room that they'd scanned Scott and Logan in when they'd first come there … and for a long moment, it seemed as if there was nothing to be concerned with … until, of course, Tony cringed and hesitantly reached over to hit the intercom. "I hate to be the bearer of bad news …"

"Where is it?" K asked. "Just tell me and I'll get it out myself." She was already running her hands over her arms, looking for a bump or some other indicator that something was amiss.

"Ah … no you won't. You need to see this," Tony argued before he waved her over to take a look at his screen. As she looked past him, she swore outright at the glowing little blip that was lodged into her sinus cavity.

"Yeah, okay. Fine. Get someone to pull that thing out," K said with a growl. "Fifty bucks says Logan has one too."

"I'm not taking that bet," Tony said as he waved for Logan to step into the scanner for the same treatment.

"Who put it there, K?" Coulson asked. "And why don't you remember it happening?"

"You … are being nosy," K said, clearly uncomfortable. "If you want to know who did it - get it out and tear it apart. Be my guest."

"K," Coulson said, giving her a dry look. "I'm not being nosy. I'm trying to  _help,_  and you know it."

"I thought you were one of the smart ones, Phil," K said. "I'm not  _talking_ about it. Figure it out if you want to."

"I'll look into it. You know I will."

"Good. Thank you," she said in a breath. "And I'll even  _cooperate_ with your staff, okay?"

Coulson raised a single eyebrow and almost -  _almost_ \- smirked. "Must be something serious."

"Sweet Coulson. Would you like to have a tracker up your nose?" K asked sweetly.

"No, I would not."

"Then …" She gestured openly with both hands. "Serious."

Coulson simply nodded - and it was a mark of how honestly concerned he and the Avengers were as they got Logan and K to the med lab that it was relatively quiet for the entire procedure. Coulson stayed close, frowning at the screen as the tracker was removed - and quick to be the one to offer K some kleenex once it was out.

"This … doesn't entirely look like a tracer," Coulson said with a frown as he stared at the device on the tray."

K frowned and turned to look at it. "Not one of yours anyway," she agreed.

"I'll follow it … make sure the right people look it over," Coulson said, though he looked more serious now that he had seen the device himself.

"You're such a great little guardian agent," K said, making a face at how irritated her nose was after the device's removal.

"I'd be more effective if you'd work  _with_ me," Coulson said before he gave her arm a squeeze and headed off to get his team working on tracing their origin.

That was when Steve finally leaned over Logan's shoulder. "I can be ready in the time it takes to grab my shield."

"For what?" Logan asked, looking entirely confused by the offer.

"Come on, Logan. Whoever did this? We can't let it go unanswered."

"Just let it go, Cap."

"Yeah, the last time someone did something like this to you and I wasn't around? Turned out there was an entire governmental organization that tortured my old friend to make another  _me_."

"This ain't that," Logan said.

"So tell me what it is and let's go," Steve said. "I thought you were keeping the department off the kids' trail."

"It's not the department," Logan said. "And we went on the road because they hit the school. You know that." Logan shook his head. "But hey. I appreciate the help on this. Let me know if you can track that down - whoever made 'em."

"If we find them, I'm not going to get shut out," Steve warned.

"Okay, Cap. Sure."

"Damn, Logan, you sure know how to make an old friend feel wanted," Steve said dryly - though there was only a little heat to it.

Logan let his shoulders relax at that. "We're just tryin' to get back to the school - and we didn't want to be followed. That's all."

Steve watched Logan for a long moment and then nodded. "Tell Scott hi for me. I know he's got a birthday coming up, so you can expect a few packages. Jan's already picked out plenty."

"He'll be surprised again," Logan said, sure to keep his expression as friendly as he was able, even if he was tense all over again.

"Hey, parents like you two, he'll figure out he's part of the family now."

"You'd think," Logan agreed - if nothing else to move it along a little faster. "I'll catch you soon. Clean you out."

"I'll bring Clint," Steve said with a smirk. "He's been winning too much at poker and it's driving Tony nuts."

"I'll bring K," Logan laughed. "She cheats worse'n Fury does."

"We got a couple new recruits - brother and sister? And she cheats worse than Fury too. I'll bring her with and see how you deal with it when the cards literally change when she gets a little drunk."

"Sounds like a little stabbin's in order to me," Logan chuckled.

Steve smirked and clapped a hand on Logan's shoulder. "We'll clean 'em out."

On the way out, Coulson still gave both of them his best concerned look, even if he was holding his tongue. There was only so much arguing he could do with a brick wall and he knew it. Of course, the mystery and the stonewalling had Tony's attention too - even if the two ferals were trying so incredibly hard to brush it off.


	11. Krakoa

Once Logan and K got loose of the Avengers, it only took them an hour to get back to Westchester, where the entire property was mercilessly silent. "We shouldn't have left," Logan said quietly, sure that the Department had doubled back and hit them once the two of them were away from the kids.

"So … we just have to figure out where to go, right?" K said, ready to turn right back around and head north. "Security footage?"

"Most likely," Logan agreed before they both dropped their bags and headed for the ready room - where they could dig up any footage that existed. Of course, they didn't get all the way there before they found a rather upset professor.

It was evident he hadn't gotten much in the way of sleep, and he looked almost harried, not at all as composed as he usually was, as he looked through several files, papers, reports...

"Where the hell is everyone?" Logan asked.

Charles looked up to see Logan and K and let out a sigh. "On an island in the Pacific, I'm afraid," he said tightly.

"What  _kind_ of island?" Logan asked slowly, his brows drawn together as he watched Charles.

Charles shook his head, looking more frustrated still. "It's relatively new. Reportedly uninhabited. I found a mutant in distress, but the team dropped out of contact entirely…" He shook his head, his agitation obvious. "I even sent a second team, and they've gone completely silent as well. I can't find any of them or even this mysterious mutant on Cerebro, either. I'm completely in the dark." As he said that last part, he very nearly raised his voice before he threw up his hands and sat back.

"Where …" Logan paused and shook his head lightly, his concern, of course, how close this mystery island was to the nuclear testing sites in the South Pacific - specifically those that were still being used by France. "How close to French Polynesia?"

"Not very," Charles assured him. "This island is too new, too far away from humanity to have caught anyone's attention."

"I hate to be the one to break it to you, Charlie, but that sounds like exactly the kind of place that nuke testing would happen," Logan said .

Charles shook his head at that. "That was the first thing that I looked for before sending  _anyone_ near this island. I assure you, there is nothing like that anywhere near this place. That is not the concern. The concern is that two teams have been lost in as many weeks. And I can still find that strange presence I detected on Cerebro in the first place."

"Wait," K said, stepping closer to Charles. " _How long_ has Scott and the kids been missing?"

Charles paused at the tone of her voice - but he didn't see any benefit to lying when he knew their abilities. "The team left two days after your last call to the school," he admitted. "Three weeks."

"And you couldn't find the time to reach out and find us with that big  _blockhead_ of yours?"

"I had hoped the second team would be able to recover them," Charles admitted, bristling only slightly at her insult. "I sent an old friend."

"We need to figure out how to get there," Logan said, turning to K and totally ignoring Charles at that point.

"Not really in the mood to call in any favors from Phil and friends," K replied.

"No kidding. Still …" Logan narrowed his eyes as he thought it over. "We can't ask Cap. If he's involved, SHIELD is involved, and I'd rather not crack open that can of worms."

"Do you have another plane shoved up your hangar somewhere?" K asked Charles, crossing her arms over her chest. "Because I'm very sure I'm past the age of secondary mutations and I doubt I'd be sprouting wings if I wasn't."

"One," Charles said. "It's smaller and not nearly as fast, I must warn you."

"Whaddaya know," Logan said. "We're smaller."

"But way faster," K added.

"I can't prepare you for what you'll find there," Charles warned.

"Not concerned about that," Logan said. "Doesn't matter anyhow. Gotta go after our son that you lost. Along with all of his friends." K nodded once at that and zipped off to find something for them to change into while Logan studied the map and got the coordinates memorized. "Looks like a solid 13 hour flight." He turned toward Charles. "One that should've been made three weeks ago."

"I  _did_ try to find you, Logan," Charles said. "But I couldn't find any sign of you - and I didn't want to wait to send the second team." He gestured openly. "You are the third. I just hope you have better luck."

"Luck's got nothin' to do with it," Logan said, shaking his head. But he couldn't help but look over to Charles again. "What about Cap? The Avengers?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Charles replied with a frown of his own. "Why is it you're not asking them right away?"

Logan raised one eyebrow at that and straightened up. "You wanna call him and let him know we need a ride to find the kids after all this time? Be my guest. We just left him and he's already got his blood pressure up."

Charles let out a long sigh. "If I don't hear back from you in a reasonable amount of time, the Avengers are my next call," he admitted.

"You'll hear back," Logan said low. "But you knew that before. I don't  _do_ bad mission runs." Logan turned toward the hangar, grumbling to himself - though he didn't point out that both he and K had brand new panic buttons from Stark that would tip the Avengers off to wherever they were in the world should they simply push them.

The two ferals were airborne in no time, and though the flight plan looked like a 13 hour run, some of that was shaved off by the jet's speed with a strong tailwind for a long stretch of the flight. Had it been fully loaded down, it probably would have taken longer - or … if they didn't have the boost from the tailwind. As it was, Logan was redlining it the whole way, fully expecting not to be flying it back regardless of what they came across.

When they finally got to the island - marked as the right one by the simple fact that they could  _see_ the blackbird hidden in the underbrush even from the sky - the two ferals left the comms to Charles behind to simply start hunting. And just like the other teams, right off the bat, they knew something was terribly off by the lack of anything living around them.

They didn't split up as they headed into the jungle, and they didn't speak between them as they searched for a familiar scent in the underbrush. And for a moment, they thought they'd hit paydirt … following a heavy sandalwood note down a jungle path. But when they found the source of the scent … it most definitely wasn't  _Scott._  "What the hell," Logan almost breathed out before he simply started cutting the much more blonde Scott lookalike out of the vines and suckers holding him still.

Logan crouched down to check that all was well with the boy before he and K shared a look. "Did he say anything about this one?" K asked quietly, though all Logan could do in response was shake his head, a little too surprised still from finding what  _had_ to be Scott's little brother.

K crouched next to him and tipped her chin up, signalling she was fine with the boy so that Logan could take a look around them a little closer while she tried to wake up this new kid. She was just starting to slap his face lightly when he began to move. "Come on, kiddo. You have to tell me what happened to you."

"I swear, Mom, the waves were too big  _not_ to go," he said, obviously a little groggy as he batted her hand away.

For a moment, K just stared at him, lips parted before she shook her head hard and took a hard grip on his wrist. "Hey. Beach bunny. Wake up."

The young man finally seemed to wake up at that, and he let out a little yelp when he saw K. "Woah! Who're you?" he asked, shaking his head hard.

"Does it really matter right now? Tell me what the hell happened. We can make friendly later."

The boy frowned at that and then looked around the island and narrowed his eyes. "You're gonna think I'm totally insane," he said slowly, "but I swear? I  _swear_ to you the island  _ate me_."

"How?" K asked, clearly not believing him, but still looking for more clarification.

The boy gestured around them. "I have no idea. One minute, I'm walking around with a bunch of people I barely know trying to find a bunch of people I've never met. Next second? I thought I tripped over a root - except the root decided to grab my ankle and pull me into a tree and then it was just… a whole lot of green and I think I passed out?" He rubbed the back of his neck, looking very much like Scott. "Like I said. Sounds crazy."

K reached forward to check his eyes, not letting him get away from her as she examined him. "Don't you know you need to carry a knife in the jungle?"

"Actually, yeah. But I figured with, you know, a guy in a  _cape_ that knives were small league?"

K smirked and offered him her hand to pull him upright. "I'm gonna just disagree with you on that. Knives are  _never_ small league," she said. "Did you see anyone else here?"

"Well, I came here with, like, four other people. But we didn't see any of the people we were supposed to rescue before we got  _eaten_."

K sighed and waved for the boy to follow her straight into the deepest, darkest looking part of the jungle around them. "Come on. Let's find my husband."

He nodded and stuck close to her as he looked around the jungle warily. "Okay, well, um, this seems like the path  _into_ danger? I don't know if you've ever run a rescue before, but this seems… wrong?"

"I can't help that," K said. "This is where he went, and I'm not going to let him get too far ahead of me. Come on. Keep up, beach bunny."

The boy nodded, still looking like he expected the forest to jump out at him any second. "Um… I'm Alex, by the way."

"You can call me K," she replied.

"Alright. Is that like a codename? There was a 'Magneto' in my group…"

"Something like that, yeah," she said. "We're looking for Wolverine … he's in yellow." She paused and took a moment to focus in the darkened canopy. "Ah. up ahead." She took a few steps quicker to catch up to Logan - who Alex still hadn't spotted until they were much closer. And when they got up to Logan, he was cutting Bobby loose.

"How hard was it to wake that one up?" Logan asked.

"Had to slap him a little."

Logan nodded and reached up to gently try to rouse him, but when that didn't work, he let out a little breath and just slapped him hard. "Get up."

"Gah!" Bobby's eyes shot open, and he looked panicked for a second before he saw who was there.

"Where the hell is everyone else?" Logan asked before Bobby could really get his bearings.

"I don't even know," Bobby said. "The only person I saw after we split was Hank."

"He's not around here," K said, though she was watching the jungle a little closer. "Is this where you remember being, popsicle?"

Bobby frowned as he looked around. "Okay. No. And now I'm even more freaked out than I was before I got sucked into the ground? Which is saying a lot."

Alex gestured at Bobby. "See? Told you."

"I didn't call you a liar," K replied over her shoulder.

"Kids, stick close," Logan said as he turned to start hunting, though the ground around them seemed to be getting spongy. Logan started to growl at that and stepped back a few paces before he took a hold of Bobby's arm to keep him from sinking then sunk his free hand full of claws into the nearest, biggest tree.

As soon as Logan's knuckles hit the bark, the ground shuddered harder and all sorts of vines shot out from all round them, wrapping around both Logan and Bobby. And while Logan of course started slashing, Bobby flinched and reacted on instinct - freezing a large swath of jungle around them, taking it from lush greens to a heavy frost in an instant. And that … was enough to get the vines around them to wither entirely.

"Woah," Bobby breathed out, his heart hammering in his ears as he looked at the damage wide-eyed. "I didn't know …"

"I'm sticking with this guy," Alex said, pointing at Bobby.

"Just keep laying down ice," K told him. "When we find people, we'll cut them out. No reason to give anyone frostbite in the South Pacific."

"Yeah." Bobby nodded, icing up, though he thumbed over his shoulder at Alex. "Um. Who…?"

"Later," Logan rumbled just before he nosed down a path.

"Okay, but you know he looks like-"

"Later," Logan repeated - a lot harsher that time. "I wanna find 'em first. All of em."

"Right. Yeah," Bobby said, nodding quickly and falling quiet as he focused on icing a way for them.

The brush seemed to be fighting them as Logan led the way - with Bobby icing up anything that he thought was irritating Logan too much, though as they went around a thick patch of trees, Logan took a step back, shaking his head for just a moment - right before the smell hit the boys.

"Um. What is  _that_ ," Alex asked.

"Death," K said as she and Logan stepped forward to look at who it was. The boys hung back as they looked over the clearly dead boy, trying to figure out who he was.

"Who-" Bobby started to say, but it was Alex who recognized him.

"He was on the team with me," Alex breathed out. "Name's Armando… said he could survive anything." He shuddered and took a step toward a more frosted area. "Are we sure we want to keep going?"

"Yep." Logan said, though he swore outright at the fact that people had  _died_ trying to get to Scott. It didn't look good and at the thought, he started moving a little faster. "We gotta do this quick."

"We're just lucky the air's so wet," Bobby muttered, though it was obvious he was still pretty spooked - and worn out too.

"We'll get you somewhere more reasonable soon," K promised as she and Logan got to more serious hunting. They slowly worked their way deeper into the jungle and as they did so, it seemed as if the island was trying to hold on tighter with every person they found … unless they were dead. But so far, it was only Armando that hadn't made it.

When they found the Russian siblings, it took both K and Logan to cut them loose - and Piotr looked overly young when not in his metal form, which did nothing for Logan's temper.

"Damn lucky we didn't bring Cap along," he said not-so-quietly. "Charlie's gonna have hell to pay."

Slowly, their group was growing - and slowly, Bobby was playing more and more protection for those they'd gotten loose instead of helping cut the path - though Logan and K had no trouble clearing the way. When they got to where Ororo and Kurt were, all of them looked more than a little panicked from the heavy scent of death and decay there, but it wasn't until they got Kurt out that Bobby realized the source of the smell was  _not_ anyone on  _his_ team.

"Fred," Alex supplied behind the hand that was covering his mouth. "That's Fred."

By that time, Logan was growling low all the time. It wasn't anything he could control - and it was just enough to make the jungle that much  _less_ welcoming with one lone, angry growl echoing the trees.

And Ororo was kind enough to keep Bobby recharged with a cool breeze just for him as they traversed the uneven trails.

They finally got to a point where they could see several people - strung up higher so Logan was pretty sure they weren't dead yet … though one of them was most definitely older than the bulk of the crowd surrounding him. Alex and the others had started to help - doing their level best to wake up the newly freed captives as they came across them - especially after seeing Logan slap Bobby as hard as he did.

"Come on," Alex said, trying to rouse Erik. "This guy's just getting madder and I'm sure he's gonna break something if he hits someone right now."

Erik looked groggy as he woke up - though his alarm at being somewhere so far from where he'd been captured had him on his feet and glaring at everyone near him in pure distrust.

"Come on, no rest for the wicked," Kurt told him before he teleported to catch up to Logan. They were almost to the base of the volcano when they finally found Jean and Scott, and before Logan bothered to clear the path, he made a mad dash forward, with K hot on his heels to help.

Though they were focused on the task at hand, the others got to see as they tried to wake up the last two teenagers - clearly upset that they were as bad off as they were, but … as Jean started to flutter her eyes open... the island shuddered hard and began to fight back.

"Bobby!" Logan called out.

"Right. Right, yeah," Bobby said quickly, reacting more out of instinct than anything else as he threw his hands out and iced up as much of the ground as he could - before the shuddering island knocked him over with the force of the violent earthquakes that started up in response.

"Well, that's one person who can help," Warren said. "But how are the rest of us supposed to fight an  _island_?"

"Disrupt it," Magneto said simply. Seeing Bobby's ice affect the island already had the cogs in his head turning, and without another word spoken, he threw out a hand to play with the magnetic resonance of the air around them - to violent effect.

The ground bucked and writhed beneath them, which had half of the newly rescued mutants just trying to find something to hold onto to avoid getting completely knocked off their feet.

Storm, however, wasn't going to be one to go to the ground, and as she started to lose her balance, she simply brought up the winds to lift her off the island - high enough to be out of reach from the snaking vines and shaking trees.

She tipped her face skyward, arms outstretched and reached out to feel it as the elements themselves began to bend to her will. The winds picked up - keeping the path clear for her teammates and rescuers to get back to the blackbird as she began to call lightning to her aid - exploding trees when the bolts would reach out from the heavens. But it too, was a highly effective means of clearing the way.

"Okay, when the professor said there was a girl who could manipulate weather, I was thinking less… I mean, wow?" Alex said as he kept pace with K, since she was the friendliest face he had when most of his team had gotten wiped out. "It's something else in person, right?"

"Don't overthink it," K said. "Just … move faster. Talk later." To illustrate her point, she took a tight hold of his arm just over the elbow and pinched hard as she pushed him to run. "If I have to carry you, you better be bleeding, not awed."

"Ow." Alex gave her a look but picked up the pace all the same.

She shook her head as they ran, keeping her focus well ahead of them. "When we get to the jet - just sit down and don't touch anything," K said.

"No worries there. I'm wiped out."

K growled under her breath before she turned back around to make sure that Logan was doing okay getting Jean and Scott moving - and though they were moving ahead with Bobby's help, it was slower than the others, which had her rushing back to help get them loaded.

By the time they got to the plane with most of the other battered X-Men, the winds were rocking pretty solidly and rain was coming in sheets - which meant that they were soaked to the bone by the time Logan and K got the two teenage sweethearts settled into seats.

K turned to Alex and pointed a finger his way. "Do not  _Speak_. Not until we get back. Got it? You need to rest, and if I have to put you under for the duration, I will."

Alex held up both hands. "Woah. Harsh."

"Just go to sleep," she said before she reached into one of the cabinets and tossed a blanket his way and brought some over for the other kids. "What's the story with Storm? She gonna get in here or is she going to just … fly in once we're off the ground?"

"She'll probably join us in the air," Warren said with a smirk. "More fun that way."

"Says the guy with waterlogged wings," Logan said under his breath as he got things moving in the cockpit.

Thankfully, the rescued mutants were all too worn out to argue - or do much of anything besides either drift off or gratefully grab something to eat or drink. As it turned out, being drained of life by a living island could really make you hungry.

K was sure to pull the fliers inside once they were clear of the island - and though Storm was happy to see them, Magneto wasn't quite sure what to make of the two rescuers. Especially now that things were more or less levelled out. And particularly when it seemed like the leader of Charles' little group was comfortably passed out on Logan's shoulder, leaned halfway over in the copilot's seat after losing a battle with exhaustion.

"If you need water, or whatever - just say so," K said as Erik found a seat.

Erik frowned and shook his head lightly. "I'd prefer answers to granola bars," he said frankly. "I didn't realize Charles had such…" He paused. "...voracious fighters mixed in with the children in his group. That seems unlike him."

"He doesn't," K said frankly. "We're not on the team."

"No. I just meant that it certainly wouldn't fit with his  _stated_ philosophy," Erik said dryly.

K paused and turned his way. "We don't work  _for_ him either." She was perfectly still as she spoke, though she was holding his gaze with a look that clearly read how far off Erik was. "So what kind of questions could I possibly answer for you?"

"I'm curious how it is you came to find us on that island," he said. "Obviously, you have some relation to Cyclops…"

"He's ours," K said. "We came back to find that your buddy Xavier had created a complete disaster. So we came to get our kid - and everyone else." She put on a tight smile. "You're welcome."

"How did  _you_ find yourself on the island?" Hank asked, obviously having picked up on the conversation even if he was politely pretending not to until that point.

Erik tipped his head. "Charles asked me to come. He said he'd lost a team."

"Yeah, that's what he told us when we got there.  _Two_ lost teams," K said as she carried a blanket up to cover Scott up. "And no sense to ask someone with more resources." The last part of her statement was under her breath, but a moment later, she was on a comm talking to Steve, who was waiting to hear back from them.

"You know those panic buttons have trackers, right?" Steve asked. "What's the trouble?"

"We're fine," she said quietly, though if Scott was awake, she was close enough he could have caught it. "Must have hit it on accident wrestling on a beach. We'll see you this weekend with  _everyone_ , so just relax, okay?" There was a few moments that had passed before finally, Steve more or less agreed, and by the time she turned back to the rest of the kids, she could see that those that were still awake were waiting to hear what was going on. "You have to get signed off on from Jan. Friday. Don't make her go hunting for you."

"Um, all of us?" Bobby asked.

"Um …  _yes_ ," she said. "Why? You got a hot date or something I should be aware of, because, i gotta tell you … you already missed it."

"Yeah, on that note… how long were we gone?" Warren asked, stretching his wings as much as he could without bumping into anyone. "I feel like I slept  _wrong_."

"You did, baby bird," K called out. "I'll let Charles explain when we get there. I think that's best."


	12. Detonation

While the X-Men were finding their way home from Krakoa, Tony Stark and Hank Pym were having … an interesting moment in the lab.

Tony had been personally tearing into the trackers that had been removed from their two feral friends … only he hadn't had it cracked open for long before he very quickly realized that at least  _one_ of the devices - was certainly  _not_ a tracker.

"What am I looking at?" Tony said more to himself than anything as the device cracked open to reveal that it was mostly hollow, save for a few tiny circuits and a seriously nasty looking series of what  _appeared_ to be microneedles. He frowned at the device ad leaned closer to see what it could possibly be. "Hey, Pym … I think … I need fresh eyes on this."

"What is it?" Hank asked as he almost reluctantly left his project and crossed their shared lab.

"I'm not entirely sure," Tony replied before he gestured to the magnification he was using. "It looks like a delivery system, but I can't think of what the hell anyone would be able to dose either of them with that would be effective."

Hank frowned at that and took a closer look into the scope. "Did you swab it?"

"Yeah, I've got to put it through the AI, but … I'm not crazy on this, right? It looks like a delivery system."

"No, you're not crazy," Hank agreed. "Well … no more than we already knew. Which one did this come out of?"

"K," Tony said. "The other one is your standard tracker - which would explain why it was so much smaller, too, but this …"

"Yeah, he was doing something," Hank said almost under his breath, frowning deeper and deeper. "What could he give to someone with advanced healing that would make a dent?"

Tony blew out his breath and shook his head as he tried to place  _something_. "Any kind of drug I can think of would just burn out. I've seen it myself, the woman can drink scotch like a fish and not bat an eye." He paused and held up both hands. "Unless … it's nanobots?"

But Hank shook his head at that. "If it was nanobots why the delayed delivery? He could have hit her with that at any time she was in his  _lab_."

"Why a delayed delivery for  _anything_?" Tony said, frowning deeper before he shook his head. "This … is something else. I just don't know. Yet."

"Yet. It's always yet."

As Hank went back to his project with a deep frown on his face, Tony started to really think it over. He put the swab from the capsule into the computer for analysis and started running ideas through his head trying to dredge up what might  _need_ to be given on a delay. It wasn't a sedative. Couldn't be. Or painkillers … that didn't seem like something this guy would care about anyhow. He was just getting a serious moment of overthinking going when the AI chimed and put the read out on the screen.

Tony snapped out of his focus as he moved to take a look at the results - though what he saw had him frowning even deeper. "What the hell … hCG?"

Hank's head snapped up at that. "What did you just say?"

"It's … the results from the swab," Tony said, gesturing at the screen, and for the first time since Tony had known him, Hank dropped his tools and rushed over to stare at the screen himself - and then started cursing.

"We need to let her know  _right now_  what this is."

"She's on her way back from a tropical island," Tony said. "I already talked to her - she said she expected us this weekend for the kid."

"Well we need to see her  _sooner_ ," Hank said, though he looked frustrated as he did the math in his head. "They were here … what? Two or three days ago? So … can you figure out when that stupid thing deployed it's drugs?"

"Yeah, shouldn't be too hard," Tony said, moving quickly to start digging into the device. "What are we looking at here?"

"I don't really want to say until you get that figured out," Hank said. "For all we know it might be a little too late to stop."

Tony paused. "Alright. Without you actually  _telling me_ what this is, why don't you at least give me a time frame."

"Around thirty six hours from administration of that drug," Hank said. "And another twelve to twenty four hours after that."

Tony stared at him for a moment. "How do you know this?" he asked as he read over the readouts about the drug itself, looking more and more serious as he went on.

Hank shrugged and turned back to his work. "It's really not something I want to talk about," Hank replied. "Just … get a hold of her and don't be an ass about it."

* * *

The two teams of X-Men, plus Magneto had all settled in for the remainder of the flight without incident. They were all honestly too tired and worn out to argue much anyhow. Logan was sure to push it hard - much harder than they realized as they slept in the fuselage. But when they suddenly slowed and went in for a landing, at least Warren was a little confused at the timing.

"Are we stopping somewhere else first?" Warren asked as he sat forward, stiffly trying to stretch a little.

"No, we're here," Logan told him. "Take a damn shower, you're killin' me."

"Rousing 'welcome home'," Warren muttered.

"Better than the alternative," K said as she pulled Kurt to his feet. "But really. Hose off. It's horrible."

" _Dies passiert, wenn Sie auf einer Insel schlafen,_ " Kurt muttered tiredly.

" _Javol_ ," K agreed. "You'll feel better and I'll make something wonderful appear for dinner, okay?"

" _Danke,_ " Kurt said with a weary smile.

One by one, the X-Men filed off the plane, though when Alex tried to slip past, she put a hand on the center of his chest. "No. You're coming with us." She turned toward Logan and met his gaze. "See you in his office."

"Good. Best to get it over with," Logan agreed as he tried to get Scott to wake up somewhat gently. "Hey. We're back. Time to get up, kiddo."

Scott picked his head up and then frowned and he looked around. "We - what?"

"I flew, we're back. Don't make a thing about it, okay?"

Scott shook his head. "No, I just - I didn't realize I'd fallen asleep," he admitted.

"You're a helluva lot slimmer than when I last saw you, Slim," Logan teased. "You've been out for a while, and we need to go talk to Charlie. Now."

"How long?" Scott asked, though he let Logan pull him to his feet. "The team was disappearing last I remember, and now there's a few other players…"

"When we left to find you, he said it'd been a few weeks," Logan said quietly.

Scott visibly stopped when he heard it. "...what?"

"We can do this with Xavier," Logan said. "There's a helluva lot more going on than you know."

"Clearly," Scott said, lifting his visor for a moment so he could rub his eyes. "Okay, let's go."

Logan was sure to let Scott lean on him as they headed off slowly … making a beeline right for Charles' office where K and Alex were already waiting - and Charles looked equal parts relieved and worn out. And more than a little bit dreading what was getting staged to happen. Especially for how K was watching him … almost perfectly still if not for the fact that if he watched carefully, he could see her breathe.

Alex looked over his shoulder and waved lightly when he saw the two of them. "So… are you in trouble too? Here to see the principal? I'm not sure what I did, but … here I am."

"You didn't do a thing wrong," K said to Alex, though she had yet to take her gaze off of Charles.

Logan gave Scott's arm a squeeze and let his voice drop low. "You should sit down, Scott."

Scott raised both eyebrows, especially at the fact that Logan had used his given name - something neither of his parents did often. Which was probably why he took a seat without arguing it, though he did have to ask, "What's going on?"

"Introduce yourself," Logan said as he rested one hand on Scott's shoulder - though he didn't specify who he was talking to and he was looking right at Alex.

Alex shrugged and then held out his hand for Scott. "Hey. I'm Alex. We didn't get a good intro when we were getting eaten by the shrubbery, but, uh, hi."

Scott smirked at that and shook his hand. "Scott Summers," he said. "Nice to meet you."

But on hearing that, Alex looked like someone had splashed water on him, and he pulled his hand back like he'd been shocked. "I - what -" He turned toward K. "What are you guys trying to pull?"

"Just trying to clear the air," K promised.

Alex narrowed his eyes and turned back to Scott, who looked a little taken aback. "No, but, you see, there's no way you're Scott," he said. "Because Scott  _died_."

"You were lied to, Alex," Logan said.

Of course, by then, Scott had caught up as well, and he wasn't even bothering to hide the look of pure shock, his mouth partly open.

"Close your eyes, Scott," K suggested. "Take off the visor and let him get a look at you."

Scott nodded slowly. "Yeah," he breathed out and then took the visor off, though Alex was, for the first time since K and Logan had run into him, completely speechless too.

Though the boys were silent and stunned, K was glaring harder at Charles. "Explain to me, in small words, why you withheld this information. From either one of them."

Charles let out a weary sigh. "I didn't know about Alex until after they'd left," Charles said. "He didn't go by Summers - and he wasn't reliably powered until perhaps a week before the team left for Krakoa. I wasn't purposely looking for -"

"Kids with families. Yeah, we covered that already," K cut in with a growl.

"Why didn't you tell Alex?" Logan asked, arms crossed. "Or I dunno - maybe  _not_ send the little brother in after him?"

"Because he was already afraid that Steve was going to come in and drop kick him," K said. "So it was a hail Mary."

"Yeah. Um." Alex raised his hand. "For the record? If you'd've said Scott was on the team, I'd've signed up, like, last year?"

"You're like twelve," K said. "You're lucky you don't still have a naptime."

"Fourteen," Alex said. "Fifteen in a few months."

K waved a hand impatiently. "Steve and Jan will be here Friday," she told Charles. "You will be too. All day. No appointments."

"And I have another question?" Alex put in. "Who's Steve and why is he so scary?" And, of course, when Scott snorted, Alex just looked even more confused.

"Steve is a darling, snuggly sweetheart," K said. "Until you screw with teenagers."

"Steve Rogers," Scott said. " _Captain_ Steve Rogers. You know. Captain America?"

Alex looked like you could have knocked him over with a feather. "I have even more questions now."

"Yeah. Me too," Scott admitted.

"If you want some time to catch up with your brother, we can find you tomorrow," Logan said over Scott's shoulder. "We  _will_ need to talk to Cap before the night's out or he'll be camping here in the morning."

"Yeah." Scott shook his head and then glanced up at Logan. "I mean… I mean, do you think he'd - Alex should get to meet Captain America too."

"He'll be here Friday," Logan said. "But he'll be all worked up if we don't fill him in before."

"Yeah. If we were gone two … three weeks…" Scott shook his head and then got to his feet. "C'mon, Alex."

"Stay in the house, would you?" K called out before the boys could take off.

"Don't worry, Mom," Scott called back, which just had Alex staring at him.

" _Those_ are your parents?"

"Yeah." Scott let out a breath. "Logan - my dad - adopted me just after I turned fifteen, and then when Mom married him, she adopted me too."

"I thought you were dead," Alex said, his eyes still as wide as saucers. "My parents asked about you…"

"Yeah... there was a supervillain running that orphanage," Scott said bluntly.

Alex stopped and turned Scott's way. "What?"

"Long story."

Alex shook his head. "Okay, but - just wait a minute." He held his hands up in a time out symbol. "So, like, I just found out I've got these weird powers where I literally explode energy, I get eaten by a living island - and that's  _not the weirdest thing that's happened today_."

"Yeah." Scott shook his head before he took a step forward and simply pulled Alex into a tight hug. "Just tell me you got a good family," he said.

"Yeah. I've been living in Hawaii. I learned how to surf…"

"I'm glad," Scott said. He took a step back and then cleared his throat. "Okay. So. I know you've got questions. There's plenty of food in the kitchen…"

"Read my mind. Do they have peanut butter and chocolate chips?"

Scott couldn't help but grin at that. "You still eat that?"

"Um. yes. It's good!"

Scott's grin got somehow wider as he put his arm around Alex's shoulders and steered him toward the kitchen. "I missed you."

* * *

While Alex and Scott were getting reacquainted, Logan made a point to lock the door to the office before K positively tore into Charles about every mistake down the line - not that the locked door was any kind of a deterrent to the team of X-Men standing in the hall eavesdropping on the whole thing.

She was nearly snarling, and when she seemed to run out of steam, there was a short beat before Logan jumped in too - with a much more intimidating sounding tear down that didn't last nearly as long, but added a lot more colorful linguistics to the team's vocabulary.

And by the time the two of them stepped out of the door, the team wasn't even trying to hide the fact that they'd heard almost all of it. "Go to bed," Logan told them as he pushed K ahead of him. "After you've ordered some pizza and relaxed. You've earned it."

They were almost to the kitchen when Jean caught up to them with a curious look on her face. "You know … you're both easier to read when you're exhausted," she said.

"Nothing for you to read that's worth the time," Logan said, though he didn't seem to realize it as he pulled K a little closer to himself. "You need to eat, Red. Drink a couple gallons of water and rest."

"I will," she said. "It's just…" She looked at K. "Have you told Scott about what happened?"

"When would we have done that?" K asked. "When you were captured? Passed out on the jet? Or when we were reintroducing him to his brother? Importance-wise, there is nothing to talk about tonight," she said.

"You mean besides the fact that the evil doctor is still looking for him - and kidnapped and tortured you both," Jean said, her arms crossed and one eyebrow raised. "You're both projecting it. That and how sick you are trying to find a solution that won't drag anyone else down."

"Um. What?" This time, it was Scott who interrupted - frozen halfway in the doorway and obviously meaning to talk to his parents. Not…. overhear  _that_.

"Don't worry about it," Logan said.

"Like hell!" Scott said, his eyebrows nearly to his hairline.

Logan let out a sigh and shook his head. "Wasn't exactly important, comparatively. And we're fine, so it's being handled."

Jean let out a little 'mmm' that said what she thought of that, her gaze on K. "Probably would help you to talk about it. Out loud," she said, barely containing her smirk.

K turned her way - the remnants of the glare she'd been wearing all afternoon still in place. "And I have. To an  _adult._ "

"This is the kind of thing I want to know about," Scott said, shaking his head. "This guy is after  _me_. And you're my family. Let me help."

"There is absolutely nothing you can do right now but build up your strength," K reasoned. "We ditched the trackers before we came here and we're watching out …"

"What trackers?" Scott asked, looking even more concerned.

"The ones Stark is lookin' over," Logan said.

"Dad." Scott looked between Logan and K. "Tell me what happened. Please."

Logan let out a breath, looking around the group for a moment and made it clear without saying a word that he wasn't going to talk to a pack of teenagers. "Maybe when you're done catching up with your brother and you've had a chance to  _recharge_. You still haven't even had a chance to take a damn shower. Now's not the time."

"I'm not going to let it go, you know," Scott warned.

"Fine," Logan said.

Scott held his gaze for a long moment and then let out a breath. "I … was actually just about to - well, Alex wanted to actually get to  _meet_ my parents if you wanted to grab a bite with us…"

Logan looked over to Alex. "We met, didn't we?"

"Yeah, but I didn't know you were Scott's dad," Alex pointed out. "And he sort of sucks at talking and I still have a billion questions."

"No reason to traumatize you on the spot," Logan said. "Or we would've said something earlier."

"Yeah, I get it," Alex said.

"We can burn a few steaks, if you're game," K said. "While the teeny bopper crowd gets their pizzas." She turned to see Charles and Erik standing together in the hall. "Along with the teeny bopper wanna bes."

Alex snorted. "No, but seriously. Your parents are hilarious."

"We're goin' to the boathouse if you want to follow," Logan said.

"Great." Scott grinned and put his arm around Alex's shoulders again. "I want you both to get to know my little brother too. Apparently, he can surf and he's won a few competitions."

"I absolutely believe that," K deadpanned.

"Really? You can smell than under the living island smell?" Alex asked, then smirked. "Scott told me about the nose."

"No, it's the way you present yourself - screams beach bum," she said.

"Hey, you grow up in Hawaii…"

"Jungles're more fun," Logan said as he took K by the waist and led the way down to the boathouse. "Less tourists."

"Oh, I hear that," Alex said with a grin. "You wouldn't  _believe_ how many tourists my friends end up driving in circles on golf courses that are just… weirder than a living island."

When they got to the boathouse, Logan put Scott on task pulling out the steaks as he and K took turns getting cleaned up and Alex chattered away. The two ferals took turns keeping Alex going while Scott occasionally added his two cents for Alex's sake. All the way up until the phone rang - and Logan took the call with his back to the little group.

"So what did you two want to do now that we're all fed and watered?" K asked to try and give Logan and Steve a bit of quiet to chat.

Scott was frowning after Logan, but Alex grinned. "Well, Scott said he got to learn some hunting and fishing and I mean, I haven't gotten to celebrate my brother's birthday with him in ages so if it's okay with you guys…"

"You better be there," K said.

Alex nodded. "Yeah, exactly. As long as there's no creepy living islands, I'm totally down to learn how to catch a fish."

"No creepy living islands - just a few of Logan's closer friends that will want to wish Scott a happy birthday - and I'm sure fishing would work if that's what Scott's asking for…"

"Alex doesn't have any training on how to handle a gun," Scott said. "So I thought it would be more relaxing to take a fishing trip."

"We can fix that too," K agreed. "But we don't need to wait for the birthday for fishing or anything else, you know."

"Yeah, but I was out for a few weeks. Birthday's almost here anyway," Scott pointed out with a smirk.

"True," she agreed. "We can make a weekend out of it. Who needs to wait around for  _Cap_ anyhow?"

"Um. I do," Alex said. "I definitely, definitely do. We can't go until  _next_ weekend because I haven't met Captain America yet." He shook his head. "My brother 'dies' and befriends a pair of super spies and an Avenger!"

"Stark's comin' too," Logan said when he hung up and turned back to the group with a sigh.

"Oh, really?" Scott asked - in a lot more disappointed tone that Alex said the exact same words at the same time.

"Yeah, your mom put him on a job and he has  _concerns_ ," Logan said as he turned toward K with a pointed look. "I'll fill you in later on that. Steve's got the same questions as before though. The two of 'em are gonna be a pain in tandem."

"And then fishing," Scott said, looking like he was looking forward to the visit a little less.

"Yeah," Logan agreed. "Maybe we'll commandeer a jet and go somewhere interesting."

Scott smirked. "Yeah. Alex hasn't seen me fly."

"I'll steal Cap's keys," K called over to them as she started picking up the table. "Stick a potato in Tony's blasters so he can't follow us."

"Can't we just… take one of the jets you guys have here?" Alex pointed out. "I mean, I'm all for a good joyride but…"

"More fun to steal Cap's," Logan said.

"We're not stealing the Quinjet," Scott said.

"What if we steal Cap too?" K asked. "He'd  _like it_."

"Okay, well, that's different."

Logan smirked at that and met Scott's gaze. "You know that means she'll hogtie and gag him, right?"

"How about instead I just ask him if he wants to spend my birthday fishing."

"You are taking all the joy out of this, Caramel Mocha."

Scott smirked her way. " _My_  birthday."

"Oh,  _fine_."

Scott grinned and kissed her cheek. "Love you, Mom."

"Love you too," she said, sure to give him a little kiss right back.

When the boys finally settled out for the night, Logan took the opportunity to tell K what Tony and Hank were hypothesizing. "You didn't have a tracker, sweetheart."

"What the hell do you think they pulled out of my nose then?" K asked with a frown.

"An ampule that drugged you."

K blinked at him for that. "What could he have drugged me with?"

"The way it tests out? Some kind of hormones."

K froze and stared at him - holding her breath for a long moment before she finally let out a whispered "What." Her heart was hammering in her ears and all at once, she honestly thought she might pass out had she not been sitting down already.

"By the time they got a hold of us, it was a little late to really  _do_ anything," Logan said. "But they don't know if it'd even affect you the way it should. Pym's comin' along to draw some blood. Just to double check that there weren't nanobots too."

"Oh, of course," K replied softly, though it was clear she was very quietly panicking. "Because what kind of a month would it be if there weren't nanobots too?"

Logan let out a sigh and pulled her over to wrap her up. "Either way, I'm sorry."

K stiffened up at that and tipped her head back to look him in the face. "Oh. Please don't do that again. Not when it's not your fault."

He smirked at that and stole a kiss that lasted longer than he thought she'd allow - all things considered. "The window of trouble was comin' to a close when we  _left_ Cap. So it wouldn't have made a difference anyhow. If anything comes of it - "

"We'll deal with the fallout later," K cut it. "And I don't want to think about it too hard, if I'm being honest." She leaned forward to steal another quick kiss. "Don't tell Scott. Not unless it's an actual issue."

Logan nodded his agreement at that and then simply held onto her for a long while, already anxious at what could be around the corner for them.

…...

_Translated From German:_

_Dies passiert, wenn Sie auf einer Insel schlafen_ \- This happens when you sleep on an island.


	13. Rocky Calm

Watching Alex meet Captain America was just as amazing as Scott had hoped it would be. He wasn't  _quite_ as tongue-tied as Scott had been, since he didn't remember as many of the stories as Scott did. But it was still great to watch him try to work around the shock to attempt at having anything approaching a normal conversation.

It helped that Steve was a little better at talking to the team and kids in general after dealing with Scott and the X-Men for so long, so he wasn't nearly as awkward. Not to mention he was brimming with questions about Alex.

So Alex found himself trying to keep up as Steve asked him where he'd come from, when he'd learned Scott was alive, and everything attached to those questions. It was obvious to those that knew Steve he wasn't happy about the fact that the orphanage had outright lied to Alex's adopted family about Scott's survival - but he was also completely  _thrilled_ to see the two brothers reunited.

Which really just meant that Scott was entertained watching Alex try to walk the line between not giving Steve fuel for righteous indignation and also, well, being fourteen and  _excited_ to meet a living national treasure.

While Alex was tied up with Steve, Tony, Jan, Hank, and  _Coulson_ were all waiting to hear the rest of the story as Tony outlined what he and Hank had found from the devices Logan and K had left with them before they had gone after the kids on the island.

"The delivery system was only half of it. It's not extremely exciting tech, but it's definitely  _new_ ," Tony was telling Logan and K before he turned to K. "Honey, yours delivered a high dose of hormone meant to induce ovulation - which … I can't tell you how incredibly creepy that is, and I just … I wanna nail this guy. Avengers don't …  _deal_ with this crap."

"Yeah, I know," K said. "But honestly, it's been tried before with the department. I doubt it would work that easily."

"Maybe not at the concentrations that the department used," Coulson said. "But this was a little higher grade stuff. You'll need to keep an eye on things."

"Got it," she said, almost sullenly before Tony continued.

"But … that as just half of it. Logan - yours was a pretty interesting - but not overly advanced tracker. So, that just has me wondering -"

"Who's tracking you and why do they want to see a little K?" Coulson cut in. He still looked to be the same level of irritated when they'd last seen him, and he was about a breath away from simply crossing his arms and breaking his usual poise.

"Phil, this has nothing to do with SHIELD," K said.

"Which is why I don't have my badge," he replied. "What the hell's going on, K? I'm not going to let this go. Not when this guy is clearly angling to see  _babies._  That's beyond your run of the mill weapons creep."

K glanced toward where Alex was still chatting with Cap - and she didn't miss that Steve was watching them both pretty carefully, even if Alex didn't seem to realize that he didn't have Steve's full attention. "If I say anything, he's going to ditch that poor little orphan boy. Stop it. Too many people are here that I don't want to talk about this right now." She gestured toward Scott. "You came here to find out about the island crap. Go … investigate that."

Coulson smirked. "I told you, K. I didn't bring my badge. I'm not here for that. I'm here for  _you_."

K let her shoulders dropped and walked past Tony, Hank, and Jan to take Coulson's arm. "Alright. You and me and a bottle of beer and I'll tell you what I can." K gave Logan a little look over her shoulder and took Coulson to a quiet and not-at-all busy corner to sit down and do what she could to get him to step back a little - of course focusing her argument on keeping  _Scott_ safe, though that really didn't get her far when her big angle was "We're healed and there's no way to tell if there's an actual problem until there is one, anyhow. I'm in limbo on this one, so just … let it go."

It was obvious that Coulson wasn't happy when Tony caught him raising his voice with a clear "That is  _so_ not the point, K."

Tony winced and shook his head. "Yeah… after what we found… I doubt agent Phil is likely to defuse any time soon."

Logan simply frowned at that. He wasn't wrong. "He's not the only one."

"So," Jan said in a soft tone. "Do  _we_ get to know what happened?"

"Yep," Logan replied. "Freakin' island tried to eat the kids. Damndest thing."

Jan shook her head at him. "Okay, first of all, what. Second of all, that wasn't my question and you know it but  _what_."

"Ask Scott. He was getting worked over by an azalea or somethin'."

"No, really," Jan giggled.

"Really," Logan said as he cracked open a fresh beer. "The island was sucking the life out of 'em."

Jan stared at him. "Okay, and I thought Avengers deal with weird stuff."

Logan let out a little snort at that. "Yeah, right."

"We do!" Jan said defensively. "We deal with, like, actual gods and stuff!"

"Bad hair days?"

"Oh shut up," Jan said, shaking her head. Then, she paused and then leaned forward with a troublemaking sparkle in her gaze. "Not that I haven't gotten a few lately."

"Good," Logan said. "'Bout time you two got with it."

Jan grinned. "Did you talk to him? Or K? Or something? Because I swear, he got more attentive after your wedding - and if you did, I'm not complaining, but like… thanks."

Logan shook his head. "Not me."

"Well, I'll make K a really nice red number," Jan said with a smirk.

"To be honest, I don't think she had the time," Logan said before he tipped his beer toward Tony. "But I know who did."

Jan let out a noise of affection. "Aww, he can't pull himself together to go on more than a couple dates with Pepper but he's helping  _me_. What an idiot."

"He'll figure it out, eventually," Logan said. "Or she'll get tired of it and quit."

"Oh, I hope not," Jan said before she leaned over and kissed Logan's cheek. "Also? I love your family. For the record. I haven't seen Scott smile this much in ages, and it makes me happy. Even if he got eaten by a tiger lily."

"He never should have been separated from his brother," Logan said.

"No kidding. What kind of evil  _sadist_ …"

"The kind that likes pickin' on kids," Logan replied quietly as he watched the two brothers. When he met Scott's gaze, Logan tipped his head up slightly to try to encourage him to stick with Alex and Steve.

Which Scott probably would have done if Alex hadn't gotten distracted with Ilyana. And Scott could tell Alex thought she was cute, so he ducked out of  _that_ conversation and then caught up with Logan instead, pulling him aside with a more serious expression than before.

"Captain America mentioned tracers," he said low.

"Stark said they weren't really what we thought," Logan said, keeping his tone low to match Scott's.

"Then what were they?" Scott asked.

"Well … they were tracers, but they were recordin' biometrics, too."

Scott frowned at that. "Remote research," he said, his tone making it clear exactly what he thought of that.

"Doesn't matter," Logan replied. "We knew it had to be somethin'. Which is why we had them get 'em out."

"What happened?" Scott asked. "Really."

Logan let out a long slow breath. "You really wanna do this now?"

"Hey, the way things have been going lately, something else is going to come up if I don't ask now," Scott said dryly.

Logan gave him a dry look and then wordlessly made his way over to a similarly quiet corner as to the one K still had Coulson arguing in. "We were following a lead. It was going fine until we realized that the guy had wiped every trace of him ever bein' there entirely." Logan was watching K as he continued. "What we  _didn't_ know was that he had to have given the whole damn town a psychic suggestion or somethin' to narc to him."

"Yeah," Scott said softly. "The professor had a feeling he did that kind of thing."

"He's got some guys working for him," Logan said. " _Massive_. Just massive. Don't feel any pain either."

"I saw one of those in one of the memories the professor and I found. I didn't know there were  _multiple_ guys like that," Scott said, both eyebrows raised high.

Logan nodded his head slowly at that but didn't expand on it.

"So that's how you got caught," Scott said. "But you still didn't tell me what happened."

"You really don't want the details on that, " Logan said. "Just know it wasn't real pretty, okay?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I can piece together what happened," Scott said. "I just meant - you didn't tell me. And this guy… I need to know what's going on with him."

"Scott, when the hell was I supposed to tell you?" Logan asked in a quiet, urgent tone. "By the time we got out of it, you were out to sea. And then your girlfriend got her panties in a knot over it -  _sneakin' a peek_ before we even had a chance to blow the dust off. You just got your brother back. We sure as hell didn't wanna screw that up for you." He blew out a breath. "You needed to clean up and rest an' I didn't want to drop that on you for as worn out as you were."

Scott frowned, knowing he didn't have a good argument outside of just wanting to know. "I just - you know this guy screwed up my family. I don't want him anywhere near my new one."

"Yeah, well. Talk about bad luck," Logan said low. "Turns out he's been a pain in my side for a lot longer than I realized. Just can't remember much." He looked at Scott at that point. "He knows what they did to my head, by the way."

Scott stared at that. "How does he get his fingers in  _everything_?"

Logan shrugged at that. "Don't know. But … until now, he didn't know about  _her_." He tipped his head toward K. "and he's bein' more than a little nosy about her."

Scott shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said. "He wouldn't know anything if you two didn't feel like you needed to step in and fight my fight."

Logan shook his head at that. "Don't know how much of that's true though," he said. "He talked like he knew everything that they did to me. From the inside. You can't blame yourself for him. If he's been keepin' tabs on me for all this time, it sure as hell isn't your fault. He'd have figured it out sooner or later."

Scott let out a breath. "Still."

Logan smirked to himself. "Was about all I could do to not laugh at your mom, though," he said quietly.

"Really?"

"Yeah, he wanted to know where you were," Logan admitted. "She told him Creed was babysitting and he should go poke his nose in."

Scott paused and then couldn't help but smirk. "That would be interesting," he said. "Creed would lose, but it would be interesting."

"I think she was takin' the two birds with one stone route," Logan said before he let out a breath. "Keep your eyes open, though. He was  _pleased_  with us."

Scott frowned harder at that. "I don't like the sound of that."

"Yeah, none of it was anything I wanted to hear," Logan agreed. "He fought us like hell. Your mom managed to drop a heel to his groin, and we came out the other side with his men holding back Weapon X from hitting us while we were down."

Scott frowned at that, though Logan could see him working it out for himself. "Right," he said slowly. "I guess he'd hate if the department had you and he wasn't working with them." He paused. "Anymore. Apparently."

"Yeah," he agreed. "Just keep your eyes open. I don't know what all he did to us. After a while … it blends."

"Maybe you should talk to Professor Xavier…"

"Right now, my instinct is to hit the prof," Logan pointed out. "Hard."

"Yeah." Scott let out a breath. "I'm… not exactly thrilled either. But I know he's helped me."

"Chewed him out already," Logan said. "But I can't relax enough to trust  _anyone_ in my head. Bad enough lettin' Coulson's medical team get the damn trackers out."

"Yeah. About that." Scott rubbed his neck. "Captain Rogers said they were in your, um, nose?"

"Sinuses," Logan said with a nod. "No way for us to even consider gettin' out on our own. He was probably bankin' on us not lettin' anyone touch us."

"Not that it was a bad instinct on his part," Scott said with a frown. He shook his head. "This guy plays too smart. We need to be more careful with him."

"Not sure what we can do short of droppin' a bomb on him." Logan smirked. "But … I can hold him there if we can  _get_ a bomb to drop on him."

Scott nodded slowly. "Then maybe that's where we need to start." He paused. "Not… not the bombing. But figuring out a way to  _keep_ him from coming back."

"It's my understandin' that he'll find us when he's ready," Logan said. "Just figure out when he'd  _want_ to find us."

Scott narrowed his eyes behind his glasses. "As long as we keep him away from Alex."

"Yeah, I'm not in any rush to see him around K again either," Logan said, frowning deeper as he shook his head. "Though that might be a stickin' point. New to him …" He stopped short of telling Scott about the dose K was given … or what it was for.

Scott was drumming his fingers against his arm. "I still don't remember all of it," he said slowly, "but I do know he checked in when there were… changes. Puberty was fun."

"Yeah," Logan said before he held his breath, more sure that now was not the time to tell him about all of it yet. But … he didn't want to blindside him if things went the way the creep was clearly hoping.

"So honestly," Scott said, "we could probably expect him anytime. I'm using my powers nonstop, and that's a change on its own, not to mention anything else."

"Yeah," Logan agreed again.

Scott let out a breath and looked toward Alex. "Let's… not tell Alex," he said. "I told him some of it just… because he wanted to know why he thought I was dead. But I don't want him anywhere near that guy if he doesn't have to be."

"I have a feeling that if he wanted Alex, he'd have found him," Logan said.

"Hey." Scott finally smirked. "I haven't had a chance to be a big brother in a while. Let me worry about him, alright?"

"You do that." Logan paused and decided to test the waters. "Kinda puts a damper on any other way for you to play that role."

Scott froze at that. "I didn't even think…"

"There was a lot of talk about the possibilities," Logan growled out. "What the two of us might come up with between us."

Scott narrowed his eyes, and his hands were in fists at his sides. "That nuclear option is sounding better and better."

"Yeah, well, no offense but I hope every damn one of you loses your bet," Logan said.

"Yeah… not with Essex watching," Scott said, though he sounded down about it. He cleared his throat and then straightened up. "Right. Well. We can at least take Alex fishing."

Logan nodded and decided a change of subject was in order. The conversation was getting dangerously close to needing to come clean about what the two of them were worried about  _now_  . "About that … when was the last time you had any grayling?"

Scott raised an eyebrow. "I think… when we were up north with Harry and the Hudsons."

Logan nodded. "Good. Not like I'm lookin' for an excuse to get into the deep woods or anything."

"No," Scott said with a smirk. "Of course not."


	14. Starjammers

The fishing trip, as it turned out, was exactly what all of them needed. Not only was it a great way for Alex to finally start to get comfortable around his big brother's new family but it also gave Logan and K the much-needed chance to unwind, since they hadn't really gotten that opportunity with everything that had happened. Especially considering they were both just waiting to see how their luck was going to fall.

But even so, when it was finally time for the four of them to head back to Westchester - and Scott really did want to get back to the team after a couple weeks out - all four of them were more relaxed.

Right up until Logan caught K's scent.

"Sweetheart, we have to go back sooner or later," K said, obviously not up to speed with him on whatever it was that had him upset.

"Rather stay here," Logan replied quietly. "Simpler."

"And Scott would wither away and die without his sweetheart," K replied, though when she got up to walk past him, he took a hold of her arm and pulled her over to simply hang on tight - and double-check his suspicions. He buried his nose at the crook of her neck and very gently kissed her there as he gave her another squeeze. Which was when he found he was  _right_  and there was definitely a marked and sudden change in her scent. But all it really did was put him more on edge, since that brought up another angle of when he should  _say_ something. Not only to her - but to Scott.

He didn't have time to even weigh it out though before the moment was interrupted as the two Summers boys came out of the room they'd shared on this little getaway - bags packed and ready to go.

"So," Alex said, "we're not going back to any more carnivorous, like, volcanoes or anything, right?"

"Logan would rather just stay here, live with the wolves," K said, making a point to readjust her arms as she wrapped him up a little more comfortably for a moment, since he didn't want to let her go.

"Come on, Dad," Scott said with a smirk. "I thought you didn't want me or Captain Rogers to win that bet."

But at that, Logan let out a breath that sounded as if he wasn't amused at all. "Right."

"I think he needs a sister. Don't you think he needs a sister?" Alex said, getting Scott to shove him in the shoulder.

"Ah, there's the family resemblance," K said dryly. "Couple of dorks."

"No way. I'm way cooler," Alex said.

"No you're not," Logan and K said at the same time.

Scott smirked. "Told you."

"Hey, not fair. Get my parents in here and it'll be better balanced," Alex said, shaking his head.

"You go ahead and think that," K said as she turned in Logan's arms to step away, even if he didn't seem exactly ready to let go. "We can come back when the snow hits, love."

Logan let out a breath and didn't look like he really wanted to go anywhere  _still_ , but finally, he reluctantly got moving.

The boys didn't really pay much attention to Logan - if only because they both thought it was more a case of Logan just wanting to have a longer vacation hidden away with K in the woods. It's not like they hadn't been right back to their usual affectionate selves. Besides, they had plenty to occupy their time with as it was, still teasing each other and falling back into their old brotherly patterns as if no time had passed at all.

The ride back was filled with enough sweet gestures from Logan to K to get them to pay attention, though. Little things, like the fact that he held her hand for much of it - and the few times he let go for one reason or another, he was always careful to reverently kiss the back of her hand before he let go. Small gestures that had Scott smirking to himself as he watched them out of the corner of his eye.

By the time they got back, Logan's reluctance to leave was completely out of sight, out of mind. Especially considering that when they got to Westchester…it was to find a spaceship on the front lawn.

"It's nonstop weird for you, isn't it?" Alex said, staring at the obviously extraterrestrial craft.

"Apparently," Scott said dryly. "Let's go … see what's going on."

As K took a step to get moving, Logan took a hold of her hand and pulled her over - almost but not quite stepping in front of her as they headed toward the house. K frowned at him but didn't argue it, instead clearly confused on what the hell he thought he was doing. "Let me go in first, Slim," Logan said.

Scott frowned at that. "Dad, there's no signs of a fight-"

"You don't know what that means," Logan said. "And if there's any kind of trouble, I can take it."

"He means  _we_ can heal from it," K said. "And he's being obnoxious."

Scott frowned a little more, then tipped his head to the side. He wasn't sure what his dad was up to, but on the other hand, he  _did_ know about a reliable source of quick information...  _Jean, what's going on?_

_A bunch of aliens just landed about half an hour ago. Their leader's talking with the professor. That's really all I know. But they didn't come in fully invading, if that's what you're worried about._

_Alright. Thanks. We'll be inside in a second._ Scott turned to Logan. "Jean says some aliens are talking with the professor.  _Just_  talking right now."

K made a little noise in the back of her throat before she tipped her head toward Alex. "Maybe they'll probe him."

Alex quickly held up both hands. "Um. No?"

"I meant the professor, not you, beach bum. You don't think he's earned a little of that?" K asked conversationally as they opened the front door and stepped inside.

"I don't want to think about it," Alex said. "I don't want to think about  _probes_."

"Well, you're not in there with them, so I think you're alright," she replied.

"We can hope," Alex said, making a face as the four of them headed in.

Jean met them there, looking a bit nervous, though they could see a very tall, very green man just past her having a conversation with Hank about something or other. "Hi. Welcome back," she said with a small smile.

"How long has this been going on?" Scott asked.

"Not very," she said. "If you'd left maybe half an hour earlier, you would have seen the landing." Jean smiled and kissed his cheek. "Don't worry; the team was totally ready to take them down if they were evil." She paused. "We still are, but the professor agreed to talk to their leader." She shrugged. "They're called the Starjammers, apparently. They're looking for help."

"Okay, so what do they need help with?" Scott asked, already gravitating toward the closed office door.

"Well, I'm not an intergalactic political specialist," Jean said slowly. "There's a group of aliens called the Shi'ar, and the Starjammers say they're, well… evil. Slavery and invasion and war and war crimes, the whole nine yards. But the professor wanted to talk to this Corsair one-on-one to be sure to get the whole story."

"And all we've been doing is campfires and fishing," Scott said dryly, though he didn't miss the fact that Logan was leading K off - away from the group and the news. Of course, he didn't have much time to consider it before Bobby started talking about how  _weird_ some of the aliens looked.

"Be fair, Bobby," Kurt said. "We must look strange to them."

"Well yeah. But there was this  _cat_ lady. I think she was taller than the others, too. Wild."

"Yes," Kurt said with a troublemaking smirk. "It must be so strange to see someone with a tail and fur."

Scott smirked at that. "So, what do we know about these guys?" he asked, sitting down with the group and settling right into business out of the vacation mode he'd been in before.

"Mostly what I told you already," Jean replied. "Now we get to wait and see what the professor thinks when they get done 'showing' him everything."

"So far, they haven't done more than raid the pantry," Warren said, his arms crossed.

"Well, that's something," Scott said, though he reached out to Jean to ask her to project her view of how the aliens had shown up.

And a few doors down, Logan had finally come clean by telling K what he knew - that in spite of her healing always having utterly destroyed every other kind of drug … Essex's gambit had worked and any prevention they'd worked on, timing wise - the hormones had positively screwed up her system and he could scent out the fact that she was pregnant. "I can already see which way this is going," Logan told her quietly. "And for all the trouble we're drawing in, I still don't think you should even  _consider_ joining the trip for this."

"So … you want me to stay here and wait for the tall creep to come find me?" K said, arms crossed even though she was clearly panicking a little on the news. " _Alone_? Really?"

"No," he replied, eyes closed as he shook his head, frowning already. "That's not … no."

"You don't know for sure if they're going to go, but if they  _are_  ... " K stepped forward to steal a quick kiss. "Don't you think that would make it extraordinarily hard for that idiot to find us?"

"Still not a risk I want to run with," Logan replied, though at least for the moment, he was making the effort to try and relax.

"Quit planning so far ahead," K said. "Clearly, it's not working for us."

"This wasn't …. Nevermind," Logan said, sounding tired already before she pulled him out of the room to find out what exactly was going on.

Just as Logan and K had made their way back to the main gathering area, it seemed Charles and Corsair had finished their conversation, and the two men seemed not at all surprised to find both X-Men and Starjammers waiting on them.

"Gear up, guys," Corsair told his men - and as soon as he opened his mouth, both K and Logan could see and  _scent_ the change in both of the Summers boys. They immediately straightened up, and both of them glanced at each other with looks that clearly said:  _No way_.

"Boys?" K asked softly.

"It's… probably nothing," Scott said, though he was watching the tall brunette a lot closer now. "He just… sounds … familiar."

"Familiar how?" K asked, her tone entirely different as she started toward the newcomer, eyes narrowed.

Corsair  _had_ been talking to the Starjammers - "The X-Men said they'd join us routing those ships in the quadrant" - but when he saw K approaching, he paused. "You're coming too, aren't you?" he asked, this time with a much more obnoxious smile.

"Who the hell are you?" K asked, though Scott saw the instant that she scrunched her nose up and drew back a bit.

Corsair didn't know enough to be cautious, though. "Corsair," he said, extending his hand. "Leader of the Starjammers. And if I do say so myself, I'm about to be a local hero for this planet. Believe me when I say you  _don't_ want the Shi'ar coming here."

K clearly looked like she wasn't impressed - and she was slightly shifting her weight - one arm starting to draw back a bit when Logan darted forward and cracked Corsair in the mouth with a loud snap that echoed the room. "Real name, jackass," Logan growled out. "Or I won't pull the next punch."

Corsair was rubbing his jaw and looked like he was ready to start a fight - until Scott called out. "Dad, no."

"What's the idea, Xavier?" Corsair said angrily. "We had a nice arrangement and then this guy sucker punches me?"

"Do you want  _me_ to hit you with a warning first?" K asked.

"I came here with a warning!" Corsair shot back, abandoning his suave tone from moments before.

"They must take exception to your face," one of the Starjammers said with a smirk.

"No, it's everything else," K said, letting the growl lace her tone. "I'm not in the mood to play around. What's your name?"

"That's your warning, dumbass," Logan said.

Corsair narrowed his eyes as he looked between the two of them. "Summers," he said at last. "Christopher Summers. What's it to you?"

"Jesus, Charles," K said, turning bodily his way. "You got a damn magnet or something I don't know about?"

Charles gave her a dry look. "Apparently."

"Okay, but … this is some kind of… psychic… or shapeshifting… something, right?" Alex said at last, slowly. "Right?"

"When you guys figure it out, let me know," K said, already stalking out of the room, and Logan let out a breath before he gave Scott's shoulder a squeeze.

"You know where to find me," he said quietly to Scott before he left too.

There was a long silence after they left before Scott cleared his throat. "You need to explain yourself. Now," he told Corsair. "Because Major Christopher Summers is dead."

Corsair shook his head at that. "No," he said. "But I did get picked up by the Shi'ar. And if you don't want to deal with those creeps, we need to get moving before they get to your solar system."

Scott didn't move. "You crashed into the side of a mountain," he said, his voice as even as he could make it, though the obvious anger, disbelief, and hurt was plain to hear.

Corsair took a moment to consider him, frowning as he thought it over. "How do you know that?"

"Because we were there," Alex said, in almost the same tone as Scott.

At that, Corsair took a few metered steps closer, his head tipped partly to the side as he looked them over. "Alex?" A smile started to stretch across his face again as he turned toward Scott. "Scott? What's with the glasses?"

"It's a long story," Scott said slowly, though his shoulders were starting to relax at the same rate Corsair was smiling wider. "We're X-Men, Dad."

"He's underplaying it," Alex said, catching up to smiling faster than Scott did. "He totally runs the team." He grinned and closed the gap to hug Corsair. "This is great! Where's Mom?"

Corsair paused. "Ah."

Alex's shoulders fell, and Scott let his gaze drop. "What happened?" Scott asked.

"The Shi'ar," Corsair said, this time in a sharper tone. "That's what I was trying to tell your professor. These creeps will scoop people out of their home planets, kill them, torture them, turn them into slaves."

"And Mom?" Scott asked.

Corsair frowned. "They killed her," he said simply, and all three of them fell silent.

Scott cleared his throat at last. "Right. Well. You said we were going to go fight them," he said, gesturing toward the door. "So let's get going."

"Is this your  _whole_ team?" Corsair asked. "Because we're going to need every one of you that can fight at all."

"My team can handle it," Scott said. "And my pa-" He paused. "We can handle it."

Jean was frowning to herself though as she watched the interaction. "I'm just … going to go talk to K and Logan for a minute. This trip is going to take some time, so … clean clothes are a thing for girls, you know." She tried to force a little smile before she zipped out of the room, already upset at the memory that Corsair had inadvertently projected - outlining exactly what had happened to Katherine Summers … and it wasn't anywhere near as simple or kind as 'killed' by the Shi'ar. She saw the lead up to Scott's mom being stabbed, the way she'd been brought into an actual  _harem_ … and she wanted to make sure that Scott's parents were aware of what the kids were facing in spite of what confidence Scott had in them … the memories she was seeing of this alien race were positively brutal.

The two ferals hadn't gone to the boathouse, not yet anyhow. Instead, they were having a quiet discussion in the garage - far from the door, both of them speaking in hushed, urgent tones and it wasn't until just before the door clicked behind her that she  _heard_ the subject matter at hand - the simple fact that K was pregnant.

It was such a shock from what she'd been thinking about that she couldn't stop her shocked smile, and she had to cover her mouth until she had better control over it before she knocked on the door and poked her head in.

"If that knuckledragger wants an apology he can go f-" K started out, though Jean cut across her.

"Actually, I was just coming to tell you both what that, um, knuckledragger was projecting when he was talking to Scott and Alex," she said.

The two ferals paused and shared a look before Logan waved her over. "Come on, spill."

Jean nodded to herself and slipped over to sit more or less between them. "So, he wasn't lying about being abducted," she started out slowly.

"No reason he didn't come back sooner though," K muttered.

"Well, the Shi'ar took  _both_ of Alex and Scott's parents," Jean said softly. "And they killed their mom. But it's more…" She shook her head and then very quickly projected what she'd seen, not really wanting to have to  _talk_ about it.

Logan's head came up fast and he held Jean's gaze for as long as she could stand to sit like that in silence before she turned away from him. " _What_."

Jean nodded. "And I thought you should know what these aliens are like that we're going to fight…."

"Do you know  _how_ they fight?" Logan asked.

Jean shook her head. "No, but I can look," she said. "And…" She bit her lip and looked K's way. "Well. If you want me to stick with you…"

"I don't  _need_ anyone to stick with me," K said. "Unless that's you getting a little buffer zone."

Jean shook her head. "No, I was just - if that's what they did to Scott's birth mother-"

K reached over to rest her hand on Jean's knee. "Scott's birth mother didn't have foot long unbreakable claws and a nasty disposition."

"Right." Jean let out a breath. "Well, we're all loading up…" She looked over her shoulder and let out a breath of relief when she could sense Scott heading their way.

"It looks like the Shi'ar are making pretty good time our way," Scott said when he got there. "We need to get moving." He looked toward Logan and K and gave them a small, embarrassed smile. "This isn't exactly … what I was expecting to come home to, but I told my - well. I told the Starjammers the team's good, and you both can handle anything…" He trailed off, obviously still a little flummoxed by the  _rest_ of the situation.

 _They don't think this is their business,_  Jean projected to Scott.

Scott raised an eyebrow her way before he turned back to Logan and K. "After that whole thing with the island - I was going to ask if you'd join the team. For, you know, the heavier missions. I know you don't want to join full-time, but we could really use you right now."

Logan and K shared a look - they'd already discussed all of it several times over by this point anyhow, and after a moment, Logan simply stood up and then pulled K up with him. "You know that's what we're here for, Scotty," he said as he passed him by.

"I know," he said. "But - I was kind of hoping you'd  _join_ the team, honestly."

"We can talk about it later," Logan said. "You got us for now."

"Alright." Scott said. "Well… thanks." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Right. We'll talk later," he said, almost to himself, before he ducked out quickly to head back to the ship.

"Jean, you can't keep doing that," K said quietly.

"You three weren't communicating," Jean said.

"No, I mean you can't keep doing that if you don't buy yourself a poker face," she said.

"Oh." Jean turned K's way with one eyebrow raised. "I thought you were going to tell me to keep my nose out."

"For this kind of a trip? With these kind of people? No. Not this time. Dig into every one of them you can. I want to know everything from their locker combinations to what they like on their toast."

Jean looked almost stunned, though she was slowly starting to smile as well. "I can do that for you. Definitely," she agreed.

"And most importantly - find out how these aliens fight so you can share it with your team," K added.

Jean nodded. "I can do that too."

"And for me - I want to know how his group operates. Something doesn't smell right with them."

Jean bit her lip at that. "I know," she said. "I didn't want to say anything. Scott and Alex - it's their dad, right?"

"We can't interfere with that at all," K said, shaking her head lightly.

"I wouldn't even know where to start," Jean promised. "They're all in shock. All three of them."

"Which is why we're going to keep as far back as we can," K said. "So they can  _process_. This has to be incredibly hard on them. We're not gonna make it harder - which ..." K turned to face her and took both of Jean's hands in hers.  _You can't even think too loudly about what you know about me._

 _But shouldn't Scott know?_ Jean asked.

K shook her head slowly.  _I don't want anything to color his thought process._

 _That's not fair,_ Jean said.  _He's been hoping to be a big brother again for a long time. That should be allowed to be considered._

 _This is something he's wanted since he lost them,_  K replied.  _This is bigger than us. Please, let it go for now._

Jean frowned hard and bit her lip before she let her shoulders drop.  _I'm not going to let it go, but I'll stay quiet._ For now.

_That's all I'm asking you to do._

_But I still think_ you  _should tell him. Even if you wait until after the Shi'ar fight is over._

 _I won't make it hard on him,_ K promised.

Jean raised an eyebrow at that and then simply threw her arms around K in a hug.  _I'm so excited for you, but I'm so worried about all of this too. And I just…_

 _One thing at a time,_  K projected to her.  _Even if this hadn't come up, we'd have trouble on our hands anyhow._

 _Then you know no matter what happens, you've got the team to back you up, right?_ Jean said.  _We all agreed with Scott's decision to invite you to join. It wasn't a unilateral thing._

"That's a little into the future right now," K said quietly. "Let's not put the cart that far in front of the horse."

"Right. Alien invasion first," Jean said with a wry smile.

The two of them met up with Logan at the end of the hall before they headed for the alien craft, with Logan looking less and less amused with every step, and when they got to where they had to pass by several Starjammers, Logan didn't even bother looking at them - even the ones that were trying to go for a little intimidation themselves. "You stickin' with us for a lil' bit, Jeannie?" Logan asked.

Jean nodded. "I think I will."


	15. Space Pirates

The flight to the idiotic empire's territory was long, and for most of it, while K and Logan tucked away with Jean and a rotation of other X-men, Scott was trying to get a better feel of his father with Alex. Both boys were clearly out of their comfort zone, but they were putting in the effort all the same. But with Corsair and his crew insisting that they didn't need any help flying - and didn't seem interested at all in even teaching him something, Scott found himself more or less bored as he tried to juggle all the conflicting information around him. He'd honestly been hoping to get to fly with his dad - or at least  _talk_ to him about flying, tell him he had his license…  _something._

So when Corsair put the word out to everyone that they needed to prep for the fight, Scott couldn't help but perk up a little bit. Until, of course, his team came out - in their full uniforms, ready to fight.

He couldn't help but smirk when he saw Logan rubbing the back of his gloves - which were shredded already. Kurt was anxiously playing with the hilt of his swords and talking quietly to Logan when Scott's view of his team was partially blocked as Corsair tipped his head to the side to watch the little group of X-ladies walk past.

Scott frowned hard. "Dad." When Corsair was still watching the girls, he reached out to actually grab his shoulder to get his attention. "My team's ready."

"Yeah, I can see that," he said with a little chuckle.

Scott felt his jaw clench for just a moment before he tried to settle out again. "You know everyone on the team is my age or just a little older."

"What's your point, Scott?" Corsair asked, turning toward him with a little frown. "Are you afraid they can't keep up?"

" _No_ ," Scott said. "My team can handle anything you throw at them. That's not-" He let out a breath. "That's not what I was trying to say." He tipped his head toward his teammates. "I think you'll be impressed, Dad. I'm really proud of them."

"I'm sure they're something," Corsair said before he put a hand on Scott's shoulder. "Come on. Let me show you how to deal with the Shi'ar."

While Scott was talking, Logan was listening to several of the guys' nerves as they started to get wound up, anticipating the fight ahead, though he almost smirked when he looked across the way to where K was surrounded by the ladies. All of them were following her lead in doing something to keep their hair out of their faces. And the moment K was done braiding her hair, she  _started_ to do as she always did - one hand at her waist to smooth out imaginary wrinkles - but she seemed to catch herself doing it and clenched her hands instead, shaking them out as she rolled her head toward Jean and Storm.

Naturally, Scott had managed to see that much and he was sure something was going on there. But there was so much going on as it was that he didn't even know how to  _begin_ to approach anything like a conversation with his parents. Or, well. His adopted ones. Or … his father for that matter.

Yeah, that was confusing.

The ship shuddered all of a sudden, and Corsair broke into a grin. "Sounds like we've made contact," he said, already sprinting down a hall - with no word to anyone else on what the plan was.

"Contact," as it turned out, was what Corsair meant by essentially harpooning a Shi'ar craft so that the crew could board it. The Shi'ar were already firing back, but the Starjammers had the aerospace fight handled - it was the actual fight on the Shi'ar ship that the X-Men would be taking the brunt of.

Corsair was grinning as they more or less reeled the Shi'ar in. "Scout ship," he said. "Not the biggest catch, but there'll be more after them, I'm sure."

"Do we even know why they're here?" Scott asked with a frown. "'Scout ship' sounds like a precursor to something bigger."

"They're always scouting for something or another," Corsair replied with a shrug. "Doubt it's anything specific."

"You know. Unless they're  _looking_ for someone," Bobby said under his breath.

"Guess we'll find out," Scott replied just as quietly. "Let's keep an eye out."

"That's more your forte, Cyclops. I'll use two," Bobby quipped, smirking hard.

"That's the spirit," Scott said - and Bobby couldn't see that he was rolling his eyes behind his glasses.

K and Logan were near to each other, and quietly conversing on what  _their_ plan was when a pair of Starjammers started smirking their way and speaking in some alien language which of course, the ferals took offense to if the crew's tone and lingering focus was any kind of guide. As a result, the feral couple immediately switched to their little system of hand signals at a rapid fire back and forth pace.

Jean had given the team what the Starjammers' memories had shown as  _their_ best fighting strategy, but it was clear from the word 'go' that the two ferals were more than prepared to learn on the job - and improvise.

The Starjammers led the way into the ship - but then more or less went to the wayside as the X-Men got their first taste of fighting Shi'ar. While the team burst in - ready to prove they were the fighters that Scott and Charles had promised, Logan and K had taken their time entering the alien craft, watching more than anything as the kids worked. Until of course … they noticed a pattern of how the crewmen were protecting one particular path.

Logan picked up pace … taking a few steps to transition from his usual pace to a flat run, just before a  _snikt_ echoed the metallic halls along with his growl and the blood started to positively fly. He didn't know all the ways to kill a Shi'ar yet, but he had never found anything that could keep going when its head wasn't attached.

Corsair winced when he saw it and shook his head, turning to Scott to say something about it, though when he saw Alex blasting with one hand and Scott shooting beams with the other, he had to stop and laugh and shake his head. "That's my boys."

"Must have gotten it from their mother," K said in an airy tone before she leisurely headed down the path Logan was cutting, gingerly stepping over bodies as she went, though the first Shi'ar that got too close to her ended up dropping where he stood when she gave him a fist full of claws to the face.

Corsair let out a low whistle at that. "Dangerous and beautiful. Nice."

If she heard it, she didn't acknowledge it, focused instead on catching up to Logan - and giving him a hand if the concentration of bodies was any indicator of them being on the right path.

The rest of the team was putting on a spectacular show as well. It was like watching a well-run Danger Room simulation, honestly, and Scott couldn't help but smirk to himself when he saw how  _well_ his team was doing, even if they had only just learned about these aliens' existence - much less how to fight them - a short time ago.

Piotr was of course more or less bulldozing through anyone that got in his way, and Ilyana was right in his wake making sure no one tried to sneak up on him while he worked. Hank was on the other side of the fight doing the same, and Bobby was clearly having a blast icing up aliens and skating through the ship. Kurt looked like he was having the most fun, though, with two swords in hand as he dove into the fray, teleporting fast enough that the Shi'ar simply couldn't seem to keep track of him long enough to put up a fight.

Storm and Warren were honestly a sight to see. The ship's ceilings were a little low to accommodate for flight or storms, but they were clearly putting Logan and K's lessons to good use - plus a few dirty tricks that Storm seemed to like to throw in that she and the other girls on the team had picked up in some private time with K - who wanted the girls to be able to defend themselves against  _any_ kind of creep.

Scott had just blasted through a few Shi'ar and then paused to watch the team, smirking hard to himself. This was  _exactly_ the team he knew they could be, and he glanced over his shoulder to point it out to his dad - only to see that Corsair had already moved past the fight to search some of the corridors.

Scott let out a breath and tried to hide his disappointment. After all, Corsair had asked them for help, not for a demonstration of the team. He shook his head and then quickly caught up to Corsair, who had found what looked like the armory and was grinning crookedly to himself.

When he noticed Scott come in, Corsair grinned that much wider and pulled one of the weapons down to toss to Scott. "Look at that. That's recent-issue. These guys were bringing their top stuff your way."

"That isn't exactly reassuring," Scott said, frowning down at the long gun-like weapon with a bladed handle.

"Don't worry about it," Corsair said, still grinning easily. "There's another ship and a few escorts according to my crew's intel, and  _that_ is where you're going to find the real stuff. Science-class ship. So they're looking to see if Earth's useful. High-class, top-of-the-line… it's a walking gold mine, that ship."

Scott frowned hard at that. "I  _thought_ we were trying to stop an invasion."

Corsair grinned and put an arm around Scott's shoulder. "Hey, what, you don't mix business and pleasure? You  _can't_ tell me that. Son of mine on a team with a girl that looks at you like that redhead does? No way."

"Cleared!" Bobby called out from the next room over. "We're clearing them out, Cyclops! Where are you at?"

Scott paused just long enough to narrow his eyes behind his visor at Corsair before he put the gun down and stuck his head out. "Armory! If we seal it shut, they'll have a hard time recovering."

"Hey now - this is  _great stuff!_  We can  _use_ this stuff!" Corsair said. "We are  _not_ sealing it. Not until we clean it out anyhow."

Scott narrowed his eyes for a long moment before he let out a sound through his teeth and spun on his heel. "Fine," he said, though he didn't stick around to help - instead going to meet up with the rest of his team.

As the X-Men's little battles died down one by one, the fledgling team couldn't help but grin at each other, pleased with themselves as they regrouped. There would be time to celebrate later - in private when the Starjammers weren't watching them all so closely. Even with Charles' assurance that this was vital - the ferals distrust of the group was a little infectious.

"We should probably regroup," Jean said quietly, unsure if Scott was paying attention or not from the expression he was wearing.

"There's another few ships on the way," Scott replied. "He - Corsair - was saying there's a science ship and its escorts." He shook his head.  _I don't think the professor sent us here to help them. They're pirates. I think he sent us here because the Starjammers happen to be stopping the Shi'ar from… something._

 _Then why not tell us?_ Jean asked.

 _You'll have to ask him when we get back,_ Scott replied.  _But Corsair definitely knows these guys could be real trouble. He just…_ He shook his head.  _He doesn't …. Care._ It was obvious he was upset about it, and he really wasn't doing a good job of covering for it, either.

 _I can peek a little … maybe there's more to it,_  Jean offered.

Scott glanced toward where Corsair was talking with one of his Starjammers.  _Might be a good idea,_ he said at last.

Jean nodded at that as she reached over to give his arm a little squeeze before she did her best to put K's poker lessons to use as she reached out to brush Corsair's mind. It took her a few minutes and she was doing a pretty good job of covering, considering.  _Okay,_  she projected to Scott slowly.  _The science ship is the gentle part of a planetary looting, more or less. And the_ first  _step of that looting. What comes after … is very very ugly._

 _So it's sanctioned piracy,_ Scott said.  _Like the English Channel._

 _I don't know how sanctioned any of it is,_  Jean replied.  _It looks like that's just the way their species works._

Scott shook his head slowly.  _Yeah, I'm still not entirely sure that's …. It's not possible for a_ whole  _species to be like that, right?_

Jean gave him a look at that.  _From what I saw of his memories of them? Yes. It very much is. I don't want to tell you all that I saw. It's horrible. All of it. And if this alien race comes to Earth like they've gone to other planets, we really are in deep trouble._

Scott frowned harder at that.  _Then that's probably why the professor sent us. You know if he saw that in Corsair's memories, he'd know we need to stop these guys._ He paused.  _And I'm sorry you had to see that. If I'd known it was that awful, I wouldn't have asked you to look._

 _It's fine,_  Jean said.  _I wanted to know._ She paused.  _And … K already had me check most of them out._

 _Really?_ He raised an eyebrow her way.  _She's usually the one advocating against telepathic solutions._

 _Apparently not when untrustworthy_ smelling  _aliens are involved._

 _That tracks,_ Scott said, shaking his head slowly.  _Where are they, anyway? I haven't seen them since the fight broke out._

Jean frowned at that and bit her lip as she reached out to look.  _She's been keeping her mind open to me … so it's a little easier._ It still took Jean a moment to concentrated properly.  _Bridge. They're on the bridge._

When the Starjammers and X-Men came looking for the pair of ferals after the big fight was won, they didn't exactly have to look very hard. All it took was simply following the screams of a single Shi'ar that they soon discovered had been captured, twisted up into an agonizingly painful position, and tied there as K and Logan took turns questioning him or working him over.

Logan barely glanced at them when they walked in before he went right back to work. "Any of you morons know the language?" Logan asked. "Teachin' him English is goin' slow."

"Yeah, I know it," Corsair said, frowning at the scene. "I  _told_ you how to kill them."

"What makes you think I wanna kill 'im before I'm done?" Logan said, frowning right back at him. "This idiot's got information. It's stupid to kill him before we get it."

K shook her head at the expressions on their hosts' faces before she very carefully took a hold of the Shi'ar's wrist and gently rotated it until the guy was writhing - and from what she could hear - begging for her to stop. "Can you translate that?"

While Corsair gave her a quick rundown of the "please stop" that the Shi'ar was saying with a raised eyebrow expression of shock, it was clear that the X-Men were obviously disturbed as well- though less so than they would have been before the debacle with the department.

"O...kay, we're going to leave," Bobby said, pointing to the door. "You guys just… do what you do, I guess. We're going to … do not … torture-type things."

"Make some coffee, please," K called back. "We won't be too long."

The team really didn't need more prompting than that to head out - though Bobby was back to muttering about the "murder unitard" until Jean pinched him. Hard.

The kids had more or less gotten cleaned up - and refueled with coffee by the time that Logan finally killed the Shi'ar and he, along with K and Corsair returned to the Starjammer's ship with a lot more information than they'd started out with. Including the fact that the Shi'ar had several planets in the same sector they were searching for some cosmic force that was supposed to be hidden away. And that Earth was a prime target.

Both of the ferals were fairly bloodied up - or at least, wearing a lot of oddly colored alien blood that they clearly had  _no_ intention of cleaning up before the next ship showed up. Instead, K pulled off her gloves and washed her still bloody hands before she took the cup that Jean had poured for her.

"We got a plan," Logan said - mostly to the kids and entirely ignoring the few Starjammers that were eavesdropping nearby. "This next fight will be a lot bigger, so let us lead into it."

"We've got another few ships left in us," Alex said with a confident smile.

"Yeah," Logan said slowly, "but the way I understand it - when the scout doesn't respond right they come in shootin' to kill. So stand down and let us lead in."

Alex's eyebrows were high, and he quickly held up both hands. "Got it. You guys take the lead. I'll just … yeah."

"Don't you have armor enough for all of your team?" One of the starjammers asked.

"We don't need armor," Logan replied in a tone that was obviously a blow off.

"But if you have any to spare…" Scott said, his gaze pointedly on Corsair.

Corsair shrugged. "Might not be in your size, but let's see what we have," he replied, motioning for Scott to follow him so he could see what they could use.

Logan and K were somewhat calmly drinking their coffee - sticking to their hand signals and sign for communication, though they'd started to slip a precious little bit of Swedish or Japanese that they'd been teaching each other into the conversation.

But while they were keeping it private, it seemed Alex wasn't going to, and he sat down by them, shaking his head. "Okay, but for the record, finding Scott and finding out he's, like, the leader of an entire team of heroes? Went  _way_ better than this is going."

Logan drew in a breath and held it for a long moment. "It sort of did, didn't it?"

"I mean…" Alex shrugged. "Don't get me wrong. Nice surprise. Not sure, you know, what to do with it? I'm not looking to pack a suitcase and move to space. I literally  _just_ got comfortable at the school."

"And they totally don't have nearly enough waves up here," K deadpanned.

Alex pointed at her with a grin. "Yes. See? Priorities."

"I don't think anyone's pushin' for you to do anything with it," Logan said. "Don't worry about that part of it yet. Too much to do first."

"Yeah, I know," Alex said. "But …. Yeah. It's weird."

"It'll be fine, Alex," K said before she rested her hand on his shoulder. "Just get rested and ready to do this mess again."

"And what about you guys?" Alex asked. "Scott says you heal, but it's got to be a pain. Right?"

"Can't get anything done if you let pain distract you," Logan said.

"Okay, well, remind me to never get on your bad side," Alex said, shaking his head as he got to his feet. "You two are something else - you know that?"

"Can't help it, little Summers," K said.

"Don't stop. It's hilarious watching Bobby get all - like he gets," Alex said with a crooked grin before he headed off to catch up with the rest of the team and get a little break before the second round of the fight.


	16. Heavy Hitters

They were ready, then, when they were hailed by the next Shi'ar ship … and as the team stayed back, Logan and K headed for the docking point. Logan was more than a little angry about  _that_ , but thankfully, most of those on board thought it was his usual protectiveness. The two of them took opposite sides of the hall and simply waited for the Shi'ar to board.

They came in with a pair of scouts - rifles raised - and even through the mics, all that was heard through Corsair's ship was the twin sound of  _snikt_ as the adamantium blades sang in the otherwise silent ship … followed by a pair of thumps, a clatter and a bigger, more muted whump.

The second group of Shi'ar behind the scouts was clearly confused … until of course their scout's heads rolled toward them from the opposite sides of the hall a heartbeat before both ferals attacked with an echoing snarl that had the hair standing up on the back of Bobby's neck - and had the both teams flinching when the alien guns begin to fire punctuating the snarls, roars, and wet sounding  _schripping_ noises.

Corsair let out a low whistle and looked back toward the rest of the X-Men. "Your heavy hitters are  _great_ ," he said.

"They say they're not really on the team," Bobby said.

"But they are," Scott cut in, almost sharply.

Bobby held his hands up in front of himself. "I'm … just repeating what they say."

"Yeah, well, I'll talk to them after we get home and fix their outlook," Scott said.

"Hey, whatever - the point is, they've cut us an open path," Corsair said. He was grinning. "I've never seen Shi'ar in retreat that fast. This is gonna be  _fun_."

"Just follow the bouncing murder dress victims," Bobby said, grinning over his shoulder at Scott before he iced up, and the team started in after Logan and K.

Ahead of the ferals, a door slammed shut, and though K was decent to get into things, she couldn't  _read_ their stupid language to bust their code. With a frustrated growl, she sent her claws through the panel just as Logan took a hard slash at the door itself - and the metal curled away under their claws just as easily as anything they'd ever encountered back home … though even with that, they could only get the door partially open - which left a really fun calling card for the kids when they got up to it.

"Those aliens are  _terrified_ ," Jean said as she stepped past the slashed up door.

"Yeah, I think Mom and Dad are a little annoyed about coming home from vacation to all this mess," Scott said, shaking his head. "It usually takes a little more to get them this worked up, though."

"They have a lot on their minds," Jean said - coming to their defense without thinking about it.

Scott paused and then smirked her way. "You know what's going on with them, don't you?" he asked. "I thought you couldn't peek in on them!"

She blushed at that. "I … can peek when they  _let_ me. And I already told you she's keeping her mind open to me," she said.

Scott shook his head. "I wasn't trying to get you in trouble," he promised.

"You do know that I talked with them for a  _lot_ of the flight here, don't you?" Jean said. "Your parents taught me how to play poker."

Scott paused and then rubbed the back of his neck. "I… wasn't really… I was with Corsair…" He gave her an apologetic smile. "I missed out, didn't it?"

"You really did. They bet the most ridiculous things against each other."

"Well, Dad taught me, and I've got a pretty good poker face myself," Scott said, tapping his glasses. "Totally cheat."

Jean smirked.  _She figured out his tell._

_I didn't know he had one?_

She couldn't help but grin at that.  _He didn't think so either._

 _So… what is it?_ Scott asked, grinning crookedly.

 _Oh no, Mr. Summers. I have been sworn to secrecy. He already tried to get me to spill. I'm_ not  _crossing your mom._

Scott let out a sigh and shook his head.  _I don't suppose I could convince you? Somehow?_

 _That would be cheating in an entirely different way,_  Jean replied, her amusement clear in her voice - but when Scott turned her way, he was surprised to see that she was honestly keeping a decent poker face. Not great - not unreadable, but much  _much_ better than before.

He couldn't help but smile.  _Okay, we're definitely going to need to play together._

 _There was an entire round where neither one of them pulled a card and just stared at each other until your Dad folded._ She smiled outright.  _The best part is that if they'd played the hand, he would have won._

Scott couldn't help but laugh out loud, though he at least managed to keep it quiet.  _I'm sad I missed it now._

_I'll bet they'll play again on the way back if you really want to._

_Yeah. That would be good._ He glanced over his shoulder to where Corsair and the Starjammers had already grabbed some Shi'ar tech for themselves.  _I'd rather spend the time with you anyway._

Jean couldn't help but smirk before she stole a little kiss.

"Perhaps you would prefer if I 'ported you two somewhere private?" Kurt called out, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"As a matter of fact," Jean said without missing a beat. "That would be great, but it'll have to wait."

 _Put a bookmark in it,_ Scott said with a smirk.  _Mom and Dad will want to clean up and sleep it off before we play poker anyway._

 _You can make them steaks when we get back - then we can play,_  Jean suggested.

 _You know what? That sounds perfect,_ Scott agreed - then stole one more kiss before he went back to blasting the Shi'ar that were left.

It didn't take long for the team and the Starjammers to clear the ship - or for the Starjammers to start looting the ship as soon as they got the chance, either. It was clear that was the real reason they'd come, judging by the way a few of them were babying some tech they were transporting from one ship to the next.

Corsair looked positively tickled and made sure to clap both Alex and Scott on the shoulders as they headed back to his ship. "This is going to be our biggest payday in a year."

"We haven't got time for that," K said, half out of breath and positively dripping Shi'ar blood, and to the boy's surprise, Corsair was quick to take a hold of her arm as she tried to gain her footing on the slippery floor.

"What are you talking about, sweetheart? You cleared the ships, didn't you?" he asked with a roguish smile.

"I cleared the ships so they wouldn't piss me off anymore," K said. "Not so you could make a profit."

"Then we have time," Corsair said. "It was a mutually beneficial partnership." He paused and then dropped his voice as he grinned at her and leaned toward her a little closer. "Unless you have a better proposition for use of time. Been a while since I've even  _seen_ an Earth woman."

For a moment, K simply paused, frowning slightly as she wondered if he had actually  _said_ something that stupid. She considered hitting him for an instant, but abandoned that when she glanced quickly at the two Summers boys who were frowning as they watched their father speak to her in hushed tones. And since this  _was_ Scott's dad … K knew she needed to be sure before she taught him a lesson in respect. "What did you have in mind, Captain?"

Corsair grinned that much wider. "Well, for one thing, I'm sure you'd like to get cleaned up. And I know I've got something more comfortable than that uniform you can change into…"

K let out a breath of a very unamused laugh from the back of her throat. "You know I'm married, right?"

"Yeah, but he's not here, right?" Corsair said. "No one else old enough besides your, what, brother? Cousin?"

"Husband." She closed her eyes and shook her head lightly. "Logan's my husband. Not …  _no._ "

"What? Really?" Corsair shook his head. "You two are so similar - are you sure?"

"Am I sure he's my husband? You're kidding right? We're entirely different nationalities." K took a step closer to Corsair. " _How_  are you related to them?"

"The boys?" Corsair grinned. "They're mine. Scott's looking more like his mother, of course, but you can see it when they fight…"

K had one hand on her hip as she watched him, then let her voice drop to a lower tone. "Are you going to tell me what's going on, really? Or what happened to their mother? Really."

Corsair frowned and dropped the grin. "I already told them."

K bit her lip and didn't miss that Corsair's smile was again tugging at the corner of his mouth on seeing it. "Well, I'm asking you to tell  _me_ ," she replied, letting a little smoke seep into her tone. She tipped her chin toward an empty room. "If you need the privacy."

Corsair took just a moment to take stock of the few people nearby … and Logan absolutely wasn't anywhere to be found. His smile sparked back up in a beat. "Far be it from me to turn down a beautiful woman and privacy, even if she is married," Corsair said, gesturing for her to join him.

She let out a breath and headed into the room, ready to get to the bottom of that little mystery - especially since Jean had said it was well guarded in his mind - and she did  _not_ want to probe deeper into his consciousness considering the strong emotions around the memory. When the door was closed, K turned his way. "Alright, I'm listening."

Corsair flipped the lock on the door then leaned against it with his arms crossed. "First I want to know why you want to know about my wife," he said. "It's not a pretty topic."

"I've been watching over Scott for a long time," K said. "But more importantly, I have a pretty clear picture of what the Shi'ar are after - so, maybe I need the rage to keep the fight going."

"Hey, we cleared 'em out and their communications back to the empire said to look in a different quadrant. You're fine. You can relax."

She smirked at that. "And I'm sure we're not done with them. I won't tell Scott if that's what you're worried about. But I have a thing about incomplete stories - and you have at least two you can tell me."

Corsair looked to his hands for a moment then peeked up at her while his face was still downturned - but even like that, K could see the play from a mile away. "Alright," he said as he took a few steps away from the door. "We're not  _just_ irritating the Shi'ar," Corsair said in a much lower, softer tone. "My whole crew has sworn vengeance on their government. Every one of my crew - and myself included were slaves to the Shi'ar at one time. We escaped, the first four Starjammers." He smiled wryly and leaned toward her. "The ship is where the name came from … and as more rebels have joined our cause, the name's spread to us.  _Pirates_ , as the Shi'ar Empire calls us." He smiled a little wider. "Always room for one more on the crew. You don't have to have been a slave first."

"I'm really not the joining type," K replied easily.

"You have to understand - and I've told your professor-"

"Not mine," K cut in. "The kids'. Just the kids."

He raised his eyebrows at that. "The kids' then. Their professor … we told him about the Shi'ar's crimes. They've exterminated entire races and they'd happily do the same to Earth given half a chance."

K was sure to look properly impressed. "So they really are big trouble."

"Very big trouble," Corsair agreed, though he kept closing the distance. "Once we bring you back home, you're not going to want to go wandering off. If we can get the intel we need - we'll be by to pick you up to help take them out permanently." He paused long enough to smile. "Most of you anyhow. This was a trial run to see if Earth had people that could defend it properly."

"We have other friends who are capable, too," K said, but Corsair was again shaking his head slowly.

"Not according to our systems."

K held his gaze for a long moment. "That's part of it then," she said. "Tell me about your wife."

Corsair held her gaze for a long moment, his smile slipping away again. "The kids know she's dead," he said at last. "We were  _captured_ by them years ago. Taken into the slave pits of Chandilar. They murdered her and I saw the whole thing happen. They stabbed her right in front of me. Is that what you're after?"

She tipped her head and shook it very slowly. "Try something that's not a lie."

"No lie," he said. "And I'm not going to go into the gory details of my  _wife's_ death with you, even if that is your idea of pillow talk, honey."

But that just had K sparking up a low, rumbling growl. "I can  _make_ you if I have to," she replied, narrowing her eyes slightly. "But what you just told me was a lie - or at least a partial one." She gestured down to her blood soaked uniform. "Clearly, I've got no trouble with gore."

Corsair shook his head at that. "I barely know you, woman. I'm not going to let you interrogate me on something that isn't  _any_ of your damn business."

"You had no trouble trying to get into my  _pants_ , but you can't be honest with someone who's been watching out for your  _sons._ " She let her lip curl up just enough to flash her overly sharp canines. "You won't be able to  _stop_ me from interrogating you. This? This is a courtesy to you because of the boys. If you were anyone else, you'd already be moaning on the ground - and not the fun way." When he seemed to get more obstinate, K darted forward and hit him hard, fast - and nowhere that it would be visible before she took his arm behind his back and twisted him up on the ground, sure to sit on his back as she kept a hold of him.

"What the hell?"

"My husband is letting your crew loot as you ordered them to. He's even letting them think that whatever you were after with me is an actual possibility, so … talk fast. I won't hurt you a bit if you come clean."

Corsair let out a noise of obvious discomfort before he finally bit out, "She was pregnant, alright?" He shook his head, his more combative tone dropping. "She was pregnant, and the Shi'ar ….they ….."

There was just a beat before K let go of him entirely and shifted to sit across from him on the floor, though she didn't do more than stare as she waited for Corsair to continue. He took a few moments to get a handle on himself before he shook his head again and began to tell her how the boys being 'orphaned' was probably the best possible outcome for them. "It was a scout ship. We were separated and I was thrown in with the other slaves once we reached the Imperial throneworld. I managed to escape from the slave pens - looking for her." Corsair finally looked up at K. "I found her with the Emperor. He'd kept her for his  _harem_  and he was …" He stopped, his gaze again locked on his hands and his entire body telegraphing exactly how heartbroken he was  _still_ at the memory of losing his wife.

"My only mistake was trying to kill him with my bare hands instead of shooting him where he stood." His voice was much softer, though the rage and frustration was still cystal clear in his retelling. "He killed her in front of me." He looked up at K - not a whisper of deceit anywhere on him. "She was pregnant and I lost  _everything_  because of the damned  _Shi'ar._  I won't rest until D'Ken and his regime are dead and gone."

"I'm so incredibly deeply sorry for your loss," K said softly - and the tone was apparently enough to placate Corsair. But in spite of his emotional admission, K wasn't going to be taken off track. "Is this the first you've been anywhere near Earth since then?"

Corsair shrugged his shoulders and rolled them as he readjusted how he was hunched over. "We've been all over the galaxy making Shi'ar miserable - and making a profit as well just to rub their noses in it. We have to survive, you know."

"I get that," K said. "But the boys … come on. You couldn't have just … not checked."

"I thought they were dead, lady. Their parachute was on fire last I saw. When they zapped us out of the plane, I thought I'd lost my entire family. We were dying. All of us. Besides … by the time I had my ship and crew? They'd already moved on, I'm sure. Just look at 'em now."

K shook her head slowly at that. "Alex, sure. He was adopted quickly. Scott's been through hell and back. He wasn't adopted until he was Alex's age."

"I didn't know that."

"How could you? Why didn't you check in with them, Chris? Even if they'd died … you didn't even consider going back to your old place, just to have  _something_ to remember them by? Some kind of token or momento - an old photo …  _something?_ " K asked as gently as she knew how.

For just a beat, Corsair looked completely thrown off. Then, he shook his head. "What, and go back to the planet where I'd lost everything? Look at  _her_ kids every day? No."

"You've got it backward," K said as she let her shoulders drop a little. "By that logic, you lost everything when your  _wife_ died.  _They_ lost everything in that crash."

"Look, I'm not saying this whole situation wasn't bad all around," Corsair said.

"No, it definitely sucked all the way around," she agreed. "And if you hadn't hit on me as much as you have, I might just have let you play poker with us on the way back and clean you out while you got reacquainted with your  _living_ sons."

He smirked quietly at that. "Hey, I thought Logan was your brother. Be fair, K."

"You also said 'so what' when I told you I was married," K said, leaning toward him. "You really need to learn how to talk to women without trying to sleep with them."

"And that means no poker," Corsair said.

"Show a little more respect to women, old man," she said. "And if you can manage to  _not_ piss off Logan, I'll take your money."

"Then it's a game," he said.

K was on her feet before he was and even offered him a hand up. "Next time there's a problem with these idiots, don't be so dramatic about it. You saw the pressure points we found … much better for intel instead of stumbling into it like you did."

"Hey, we tend to deal strictly in hit and runs," Corsair said. "It's how we keep out of their reach." He paused. "But… knowing we've got good back up? I'd go deeper given the chance."

"They're really not that interesting … nerves and reactions anyhow," she said as they started off to head back to his ship. "Do you have any way for us to learn the language? It would be a lot quicker for us to interrogate if we can speak it ourselves."

"Not sure if it'll translate to Earth technology, but let me see if I can get you into our database."

"If you can't figure it out, just give me what you can. I've got a guy," she said with a wave.

"Oh? One of Scott and Alex's kids a tech genius?"

"No," she said, shaking her head lightly. "A guy I went out with a couple times in really handy with tech and he's always looking for more."

"Someone you wet out with before you met Logan, presumably."

K shook her head slowly and let out a little 'nuh-uh'. "No. It was just before we got married."

Corsair grinned almost obnoxiously. "My kind of woman."

She smirked at that. "Yeah? It was Stark."

"Like Stark Industries?"

"That's the one," she agreed, nodding.

Corsair let out a low whistle. "You get around, don't you?"

"I'm very picky."

"Too bad we met too late," he chuckled.

"I don't think you'd have stacked up, Summers. Not dark enough."

"Oh, is  _that_ the deciding factor," Corsair chuckled as he held the door open for her.

"It sure helps," she said with a shrug. "Helps too that neither of them needs  _lines_ and they're both the hero type."

"Not my style," Corsair said. "I'd rather run revenge than save kittens."

"If you think that either one of them don't do the revenge thing, you're out of your gourd."

"I'd believe it of your husband," he admitted.

"Tony gets pretty irrational too - if he's mad enough."

"All men do. That's just a given," Corsair said with a shrug.

"But it's  _spectacular_ ," she laughed as they came up to the last set of doors. "Are we done, by the way? Killing aliens?"

"Far as I know," he said. "They were just scouting again. And they didn't find what they were looking for anyway. Databanks didn't show anything."

She nodded at that as they stopped on the bridge. "Then … now what? You should probably brief the X-Men on how it turned out …"

"Yeah, I'll talk to Scott," Corsair said. "And then I guess it's time we dropped you off and went on our way. We've got a few buyers for our latest acquisitions lined up already."

"Great. I'll deal with the blood then," K said, finally looking down at herself. "Go easy on those boys or I'll be back to have  _less_ words with you in the very not fun for you way.."

"Hey, they're my kids. I know what I'm doing," Corsair said.

"How old were they last time you saw them?" she asked, then didn't wait for the answer. "Take it easy on them. You don't know what you're doing anymore."

"You really care about 'em that much?"

"What? You think I like to twist up random guys for no good reason?"

Corsair smirked. "Maybe for  _good_ reasons."

"Oh, only the best reasons.  _Including_ watching out for those two," she said over her shoulder as she headed to the room she was sharing with Logan, leaving Corsair to find the X-Men and explain what the next steps were.


	17. Big Brother

The ride back to Earth was more interesting than Scott had expected it to be. K and Corsair seemed to have come to some kind of understanding, which made it at least a little easier to be with  _all_ of his parents without feeling … well,  _as_ awkward as he had before.

But Scott still didn't feel entirely prepared once they got back to Earth and the Starjammers dropped the X-Men off. Corsair had offered to keep both boys on if they wanted - which Alex had flatly refused on the grounds that he liked the school and the fact that he could spend his holidays surfing.

Scott… had to think about it, though. It  _had_ been easier to deal with Corsair on the return trip than it had before. And it was  _very_ tempting to want to stick with his father.

But… he didn't want to  _go_. Which was how he found himself heading back to the boathouse with his hands in his pockets long after the Starjammers' ship had disappeared from sight. Logan and K were already there - they had wanted to give him some privacy with his father - and Scott wasn't entirely sure what their reaction would be when he got there. He knew they had given him a  _lot_ of space around Corsair, and he appreciated it. But now he just… wished he didn't have that hanging over his head as he came up on his adopted parents.

The two ferals were sitting outside behind the boathouse on the dock, leaning on each other and quietly watching the water. Logan had his arm around K and she was comfortably curled into his side as their feet sent rippled out lazily across the water. The whole estate was nearly silent save for the sounds of the frogs at the lake croaking, and the crickets chirping, though neither K nor Logan turned when Scott came up. "Hey Slim," Logan said. "You alright?"

"Yeah." Scott let out a breath and then sat on Logan's other side, looking out toward the water as K sat up a little straighter - even if Logan's arm didn't slip away from her. "They're gone. Just saw them off."

"Heard 'em go," Logan said - not taking one stance or another on the subject until he knew where Scott stood.

"He -  _Corsair_ \- he offered me and Alex a spot with the Starjammers," Scott said slowly.

Logan turned his way at that. "Regrettin' not goin' already?"

Scott shook his head. "No," he said. "I probably should. He's my father. But I don't want to be a Starjammer. Or anything like one." He pressed his lips together and then shook his head again. "I couldn't do that."

"You must take after your mom more," K said.

"Yeah," Scott said. "He… he's different than I remember him."

"He had some nasty trauma too," K said as diplomatically as she knew how.

"Yeah, he told us about Mom," Scott said. "It was almost as hard to hear the second time."

"It was just that last bit of hope dyin' that got you," Logan agreed.

"Yeah." Scott was quiet for a long moment before he finally turned to face them both properly. "But I'd rather stay here. Not just because I don't want to be a Starjammer. But because I  _do_ want to be an X-Man. With you guys."

"You already  _are_ an X-Man," Logan said.

"Yeah, that's what I mean. I'm not giving it up." He shook his head. "I'm not - I don't want to give up what I've got here. I've got a good team, and Jean - and I've got really good parents that always watch my back," he added, a bit softer at the end as he dropped his gaze and rubbed his neck.

"Scott," Logan said. "We're not goin' anywhere. You know that, right?"

There was a long silence before Scott nodded - and then surprised Logan with a hug that was as tight and fierce as anything.

"Hey," Logan said, quick to put his arms around him in return. "I thought you said you were alright."

"Yeah, I am," Scott promised. "It's just - you're my  _dad_. You know that, right?"

"I was trying to give you room to breathe," Logan said. "I wasn't trying to get you twisted up."

"I know," Scott said.

"We knew it was going to be hard for you either way," K said. "So … we tried to keep it simple. Less stress if we could. Didn't want you in a tight spot with Corsair. I'm sorry if we were  _too_ distant."

"I'm fine," Scott promised, only just letting up on the hug with Logan to give her a small smile. "Really. It… was a lot to process, but…" He shrugged and gestured to both of them. "I wanted a family every day for  _years_ , and I finally got one. I'm not going to turn my back on that.  _Ever_. I'm too lucky not to know I'm lucky."

"Well, Mr. Lucky," Logan said slowly. "We're probably gonna need to cut out here pretty quick."

"No. We need to  _arm up_ ," K argued. "Let Tony help. He likes helping."

Scott frowned and looked between the two of them. "What's going on now?"

K let out a breath. "Well … you probably know that one of the trackers wasn't exactly a tracker. It was a drug delivery system."

"Are you okay?" Scott asked, jumping right to concern.

"Little unprepared, but I'm fine," K said. "Just … having some trouble processing everything  _myself._ As irritating as the space thing was - it was a good distraction."

"Well, what can I do?"

"Just … keep up your practice bein' a big brother," Logan said.

Scott blinked before a slow, disbelieving smile started to spread over his face. "Really?"

"Really," Logan said, nodding.

"Wow." Scott grinned. "That's - I mean -" He ran a hand through his hair. "I mean - that's  _great_ but - oh man."

"Which brings us to our argument," Logan said.

"You can't leave," Scott said quickly. "He found you when it was just the two of you."

"He found us when we were lookin' for him," Logan corrected.

"Still." Scott shook his head.

" _And_  …" K said, letting the word hang for a moment. "... he drugged me so that this would happen. He already knows the timeline because he orchestrated it. He'll come looking. And since we know it, I think we should be ready to blow him into next year."

"That's why we should stay here," Scott insisted, nodding lightly. "You two couldn't stop him alone. And  _I_ can't stop him. We need  _help_."

"You wouldn't be goin' anyhow," Logan said.

"Like hell I wouldn't," Scott shot back. "I  _just_ said you're my parents, and I'm sticking with you. And if you're going to add a little sibling into the mix, there's  _no way_  I'm  _not_ sticking with them too."

Logan couldn't help but smirk crookedly at that before he threw an arm over Scott's shoulders. "So what do you think? Stark's working up somethin' for her …"

"Pym figured out what the drugs were for," K said. "They were tearing apart the capsules. Tony found the delivery system."

Scott nodded and then quickly got up to move over to hug K. "I'm sorry he drugged you," he said. "As excited as I am, I'm sorry that's how this happened."

"He blew the pool. All bets are invalid, by the way," K said, going for a little tease.

Scott shook his head, unable to hide his smirk. "Of course that's what you're worried about."

"I just needed to clarify -  _we_ had things under control … someone else was bound and determined to see a tiny Logan." She leaned against his shoulder and started to relax a little. "Your girlfriend knew before we went into space, by the way. Feel free to do with that as you will."

"Oh, so you mean she owes me," Scott said.

"How?" Logan asked. "We told her to keep her mouth shut."

"Yeah, but…" Scott shook his head. "You know what, never mind. I'll talk with her later. That point is-" He looked between the two of them. "The point is I'm sticking with you. And before this thing with Corsair, I was going to ask you both to join the team anyway. This just cements that." He tipped his head. "I really want you there. The team's like family."

Logan nodded. "Won't be easy," he said. "And I'm sure we'll need to get the hell out now and again. Not used to staying still for long."

"You don't have to come on every mission," Scott clarified. "And I still want to go on fishing trips with you. Family comes first, right?"

"That's what they say," Logan teased.

"Good." Scott smirked and then leaned over so he was resting his head on K's shoulder. He was quiet for a long time still before they heard him add, "Love you both."

"Love you too," K said as Logan rested his arm across Scott's shoulders.

"Hope you remember that, kid," Logan said quietly.

* * *

While Scott had felt pretty strongly about staying in Westchester and staying with the family he'd found for himself, that didn't mean he wasn't still more than a little torn up about the whole thing.

It made it hard to sleep, really - so he went to the kitchen again for what was now almost a reflex: a cup of coffee and a newspaper and sometimes Jean, depending on how badly he'd been projecting.

He  _was_ trying to stop doing that, though the closer he and Jean got, the more he was sure it wasn't  _just_ projection that had her in his thoughts. Not that he'd bring it up with her.

Still, he couldn't help but smile when Jean made her way downstairs and they moved effortlessly from the kitchen to the living room. There was something comforting about curling up with Jean that made it easier to go back to sleep, and it took no time at all before both of them were comfortable and knocked out on the couch again.

Hours passed before the smell of coffee filled the room again, though neither Scott nor Jean had gotten up to make it. K took her time, curled up in a chair nearby, her feet pulled up under her as she settled in with her latte. She'd hoped the coffee scent on its own would be enough to rouse them, but when she was almost halfway into her coffee, she decided that subtlety was for the birds. "Awfully cozy looking," she said in a low tone that she knew would wake Scott up at least. "Is this some kind of attempt to keep things rated PG?"

Scott was obviously awake faster now - and trying not to jostle Jean. " _Mom_."

"If you want privacy, generally, it's easier if you … you know. Get a room. Close the door." She raised her mug and took a sip, both hands wrapped around it. "More comfortable too."

"That's  _not_ …" He shook his head as Jean started to wake up too. "We're  _not_."

"Not sleeping? Well not anymore. I didn't say you were doing anything else. I just said you'd be more comfortable in the privacy of a room with the door closed."

"We've just… been watching movies and ... " Jean blushed. "You know, to get back to sleep."

"How often does this happen?" K asked, smirking into her mug.

"Not…  _too_ often," Scott said, turning a little redder as well.

"Why? She underage?" K asked straight faced before she leaned forward. "Should I be worried about cops showing up looking for you?"

" _Mom_."

"Just wondering if it's a statutory situation …"

Scott shook his head as both he and Jean started to sit up a little better. "You know that's not what's going on here," he said.

"And for the record, he's not that much older than me," Jean said, though she was blushing harder than he was.

K finally smirked at that. "Yeah? When's your birthday?"

"December."

"Uh-oh, got some time still," K said, doing her best to make a face at them.

"You're terrible," Jean said, shaking her head. "And you  _know_ we're not doing anything like that."

"And I know you're leaning toward getting more serious about each other if you're using each other for teddy bears," K said. "Which is fine. I was supposed to be married off by the time I was her age."

"It's …" Scott let out a breath. "It's just about … being grounded. That's all."

"I'm not giving you a hard time," K promised. "I was teasing a little, but you're both old enough to make your own decisions. If those decisions happen to be more comfortable on a bed, then I don't see why you wouldn't roll with it. Just because you're sharing sleeping space doesn't mean you're having sex."

Scott shook his head, but since they were awake at that point, he got up to fold up the blanket anyway. "You're not going to do this all the time if you move up to the house, are you?"

"What makes you think we're moving up to the house?"

Scott gave her a look that said he thought it was obvious. "You're on the periphery in that boathouse. How are we supposed to help you if something goes wrong?"

"I thought your argument was that it wasn't going to go wrong," K said.

"Right.  _Because_ we've got backup." Scott raised an eyebrow. "I'm not just talking about Essex, Mom. What about the department? If they come here again and  _find out_ …"

"Find out … what? That your Dad's starting to get wildly overprotective?"

"If they find out that you're pregnant," Scott said.

"Well … they wouldn't be putting me in a death squad," she said under her breath.

Scott gave her a dry look. "Besides," he said. "It doesn't feel right having you so separate when you're - I mean, I wanted you on the team and in our lives, not off to the sidelines."

K had tipped her head to the side and raised her eyebrows. "We've been on the sidelines all the time," she said. "It gives you guys a little room to be yourselves, doesn't it?" She pulled her shoulders up to her ears. "Besides … you probably won't want to be too close once I'm  _really_ uncomfortable anyhow."

Scott shook his head at that. " _Mom_ ," he said, "come on. I thought I already told you I'm  _not_ looking to distance myself from my family."

 _It's not about us, Scott_ , Jean projected.  _She wants to hide._

 _Then why not hide somewhere safe?_ Scott shot back.  _You know I'm right._

 _I know that,_  Jean replied.  _But she's not being entirely rational right now. All things considered ..._

 _Yeah_. Scott shook his head before he got up and kissed K's cheek. "Mom, I'm just trying to help. And a big part of that is being sure that I keep my family together."

"I know," she said. "I just keep picturing a little cabin tucked far, far away, that's all." She shook her head and got to her feet. "Don't worry about it. I'll let you two wake up  _alone_."

"Wouldn't complain if you didn't if it meant you were here," Scott said with a small smirk. "I mean, I would…"

K gave him a little squeeze on the arm. "I probably shouldn't have picked to start with."

"I'm fine, really," he promised. "Why don't you let me buy you breakfast or something?"

"I'm thinking of going back to bed, honestly," she said. "Coffee's warm … settled out my nerves."

"It must be a family trait," Jean said with a smile. "Scott does the same thing."

"Learned behavior," K replied. "You should make each other breakfast instead."

"You'll let me treat you some other time, right?" Scott said.

"Maybe," she said. "Honestly my nose is sharper than usual - which is saying something."

"That can't be comfortable," Jean said, wrinkling her nose.

"You learn to tune it out," K replied. "Unless it's really offensive." She started to leave, her hands in her pockets. "Your Dad should be in soon. He took a run around the property."

"Alright. I'll talk to him about the move," Scott said.

"Not what I meant," K almost sang out.

"Happening anyway!" Scott called back to her.

"Love you, Caramel Mocha," K called - knowing it'd get a smile out of him. On her way out, she saw Bobby, who looked surprised she was already leaving, though when he turned to try and see where K had left from, she spun and gave him a quick, hard swat that made him yelp and jump - and gave Jean and Scott an extra moment or two to get  _out_ of the room while Bobby's attention was elsewhere.

Jean gave Scott a wide grin on hearing Bobby accusing K of trying to  _kill_ him through spanking as she rushed off, slipping out the other way so she could get changed before the rest of the team started to wake up and continue to give them a hard time.

And K … headed right down to the barn. In spite of telling Scott she was going to sleep, she wasn't ready to even attempt to lay down. Not when closing her eyes made the world spin like a top. She was halfway to the barn when she tipped her chin up and paused, scenting out the air as the breeze picked up a little bit from the east. Logan had started out that direction, and he had to be on the far side of the vast property by now - which tracked with what she was smelling, anyhow.

Deer were nearby and their earthy tones were reasonably strong on the warm breeze as she continued on her way. The roses in the garden were blooming strong and the heavy scent of the flowers almost overpowered everything else until she stepped into the barn and was enveloped by the comforting scent of fresh hay and horses.

K was smirking to herself as she made her way through the barn, feeding the handful of horses that Charles apparently kept on principle. Not that she was  _complaining_. It gave her something to do with her hands for the time being.

She was almost to the last horse, scoop of grain in hand when she caught a somewhat familiar scent that had her freezing in her tracks just before the massive guy stepped into the far end of the barn - where they could have easily hidden from the house. K started to growl even as she dropped the grain - more than ready to fight him … until the tall, pale doctor joined his bodyguard.

"Now, my dear. Be polite," he said.

All at once, K retracted her claws. The growl dropped, her shoulders slumped, and a moment later, she'd crumpled to her knees.

Essex smirked as he stepped toward her and then rested a hand on her shoulder, peering into her surface thoughts. "I  _had_ worried when I wasn't getting the feedback I expected that my experiment simply didn't stick. It's nice to know it's simply a matter of your removing the devices. Annoying, but still workable all the same."

K simply couldn't respond or do anything at all to fight back as the pale doctor's large assistant picked her up. They were headed through the back, so that no one at the house would see them, when someone else got to the barn.

"Hey, Mom, I brought you something to eat if you just want to stay outside," Scott called out, shouldering into the barn with a plate of biscuits and some fruit. "Kurt made some German pancakes, but we ate them all."

"How  _thoughtful_."

Scott froze at the familiar voice as his gaze snapped to the pale doctor - and the large man carrying K. "How…"

"Be careful now," Essex said. "I don't want to restart this experiment  _again_. Such a fussy system with the little female."

Scott narrowed his eyes at that. "Leave her alone," he said. "I'm not the one kidnapping her."

"No, but I do tire of waiting for one of these women to actually  _survive_ the ordeal of pairing up with Logan and all of his baggage." He shook his head. "Though if I come across that blonde brute, I may have to deal with him personally."

"He  _won't_ touch her," Scott said, his hands in fists. "I won't let him."

Essex chuckled low. "It's happened with others, you know."

Scott hadn't heard that much, but he wasn't going to say anything. Not to  _this_ guy. "He's never been able to handle my whole family," he said. "We can take care of ourselves. Back off."

"I have a stake in this now too, my boy," Essex said. "And I will see this child brought into the world safely. This was an appropriate pairing and I need to see how it manifests. That isn't going to change regardless of how you  _feel_ about it."

If it had been anyone else, Scott was sure he would have blasted them away from his mom. Or done something. And he  _wanted_ to; he just… wasn't about to risk anything happening to her. "Let her go," he said again.

"If you're concerned, you're more than welcome to join her," Essex said, the corner of his mouth quirking upward as he watched Scott. "But she's leaving with me now."

Scott stopped, almost holding his breath and obviously thrown off by the suggestion. Especially since Essex had always made it such a priority to get  _him._  "I…"

When Scott didn't answer right away, Essex decided to bluff - and simply turned to walk off with the broad man carrying K.

"Wait." Scott had his hands in fists at his side, almost shaking in anger.

Essex smiled to himself as he slowed to a stop, though he quickly schooled his expression before he turned to face Scott again, one eyebrow raised. "I have work to do, boy."

"And I can't let you leave with my mom," Scott said.

"Yet I  _am_ leaving with her."

Scott frowned harder and then nodded to himself. "If -  _if_ \- I come with you," he said slowly, "I want you to let us come back here."

He narrowed his eyes further on hearing it. "That will depend on what I need to do once we return to my lab."

"You don't need to keep her," Scott said. "And you know it."

"She'd be far safer with me than anywhere else," Essex argued.

"And you said you wanted her to  _stay_ pregnant," Scott argued right back. "Or do I actually know more about medicine than you do? Stress like that? Really? You already said she had a delicate system. You really want to test that?"

"Does she look as if she's stressed?" he asked, more than a little irritated that Scott had a point.

"You're cheating right now," Scott pointed out. "And you know I'm right. You can't separate my parents. That on its own is  _wrong_. And you know it'll hurt her."

Essex looked irritated for a long moment. "That much is likely true," he said slowly. "I won't keep her long."

"Good." Scott tipped his chin up. "I'll hold you to that."

As Essex turned, his coat flew out behind him. "Come along then. There's work to be done. And don't bother calling out for your little friends."

"No one's close enough for that anyway," Scott said, shrugging his shoulders up high as he shoved his hands in his pockets - where, of course, there was also a panic button. He hated to worry Captain Rogers again, but it was  _definitely_ an emergency.

Essex stopped and put his hand out before he looked at Scott. "I'll take that."

"No."

Essex sneered and raised his hand - which had Scott frozen to the spot. He wasn't kind as he retrieved the button from Scott and then smashed it on the concrete. Before he could take a few steps, another tall, broad man stepped into the barn to pick Scott up - and then followed Essex out.

It was that much more frustrating for Scott, then, not to be able to move and knowing that the panic button wasn't transmitting anymore. But Essex had apparently decided it was better not to let Scott try anything - at least not until they had gotten to an old-fashioned house in the countryside. Complete with a lab in what appeared to have once been some sort of greenhouse.

Once they were back to Essex's lab, he was quick to get started with K - though, it wasn't anywhere near as invasive as the last time he'd had her on his table. It was actually amazingly … simple. Blood draw, a little ultrasound, and what seemed like an overly long time with Essex simply reading her mind, and complaining under his breath the more that he saw of what she'd been up to over the past several weeks.

"This sort of galavanting makes me think you're  _wrong_ , Mr. Summers. Really.  _Space pirates._ "

"I'd take them over you any day," Scott said. He was still nearly shaking with anger, though with a large man on either side of him, he couldn't do more than glare.

"Yet you didn't, did you," he said easily.

"I didn't choose to stay here for  _you_ ," Scott said, his eyes narrowed.

Sinister ignored much of what Scott was saying by then though, and when he was more or less finished digging through K's mind, he was tutting - and frowning. "They really are protective of you, you know. More than I had expected."

"They're my parents," Scott said, his tone making it clear that should have been explanation enough.

"And clever enough to fill in the blanks for me," Essex replied with a little smirk before he gestured for one of his men to move K to what amounted to a cell.

"You're not keeping her," Scott bit out. "You did your tests; let her go."

"Scott, you must know that I need to be careful on where she's kept," Essex said. "There are too many others that would take advantage of her in her condition."

"Then let me take her back home."

"I may have to," Essex admitted softly. "But not before we've had a moment together as well." He turned to Scott with a smirk. "So much has changed, my boy."

"Since I got away from you? Yeah. For the better," Scott said, his eyes narrowed.

"Let's see exactly how  _much_ has changed," he said as he gestured for the men to bring Scott to the table now. Of course, Scott fought back, but he couldn't get free, and by the time he was stuck tight, he was honestly panicked, falling silent for the first time since he got his voice back because he'd gone right back to the night Logan had rescued him and he honestly couldn't  _stop_ the pure fear response.


	18. The Astonishing Ant-Man And Doctor Strange

The Avengers had, in fact responded to the panic button Scott had pressed - and their arrival in Westchester was more than enough to tip off any X-men that hadn't figured out that something had happened, got it fast enough when the quinjets and Iron Man started landing all around the school - with Steve looking like he couldn't believe that they could be in trouble again. Already.

"Where is he?" Steve demanded. "Scott pushed a button then it died. What happened?"

Kurt had been the one to teleport out to meet them first, and he looked surprised. "He and K have been at the barn this morning," he said, teleporting himself and Steve there in an instant rather than try to explain anything.

Of course, seeing as Scott and K were gone, that wasn't helpful.

"Doesn't look like there was a fight …." Steve was frowning deeper. "Where's Logan?"

"I'm not sure," Kurt admitted. "He wasn't at breakfast, but Scott was going to speak to him about moving out of the boathouse and into the main house. I assumed he was packing…" He shook his head and teleported once more, disappearing for a longer moment before he reappeared in the barn, looking more wide-eyed, with his tail straight up. "I … cannot find him."

"We need to find them. The faster the better. I can't track like him…"

"I'll look," Kurt promised. "I'm faster than you are. And Jean can look for Scott." He gave Steve a weak smile. "She'll find him faster than anyone. They're always in each other's minds," he joked lightly before he teleported off again, this time to get the rest of the team involved in the search and then to continue teleporting around once more.

It was Jean, however, that found Logan - and when she did, she reached out telepathically to the Avengers and the X-Men to let them know she had. He's… just… stopped, she warned them.

Logan was in the trail where he'd been running, more or less simply staring and on his knees, obviously not seeing anything around him at all. When Kurt tried to get him moving, he didn't respond.

"There's some kind of … telepathic command," Jean said, closing her eyes as she concentrated. "I think I can undo it…. Maybe." She glanced up when Jan arrived and gave her friend a tight smile. "Give me a minute. I think I recognize the pattern of who did this, but I want to be sure. Because if it's who I think it is, this is very, very bad."

"Who would this be?" Kurt asked, his tail still behind him. "Who could do this to him? I thought it was harder to get into his mind?"

"It is hard," Jean said. "Shh. It's hard for me too, and I need to concentrate to lift the command." When Kurt nodded, she focused on Logan's mind, and finally, she was able to lift the command, though she felt a little hot and sweaty over the exertion.

Logan sucked in a breath and popped his claws - at exactly the same moment that Kurt grabbed Jean and teleported well out of the way. It was clear he was disoriented and confused, particularly as he kept looking around himself, gasping in breaths and looking for … something.

"Logan, mein Freund," Kurt said softly, "breathe, please."

"What are you doing here?" Logan asked as he got to his feet.

"You weren't moving, Logan," Kurt explained. "Jean had to lift some kind of... " He glanced toward Jean. "...command?"

Jean nodded. "Did you see anything?" she asked.

Logan blinked a few times and turned in a tight circle, still looking around himself. "How long have I been here?"

"Since this morning," Jean said.

"No, I didn't … see anything," Logan said. "What happened?"

Jean let her shoulders drop. "I think it was that doctor," she said softly. "The block in your mind… it's a lot like the ones I've helped the professor take out of Scott's mind."

"Where is he? Where's Scott? And K?" Logan asked - though he was already in motion to head back toward the house.

"We don't know, but Scott hit the alarm," Kurt said, tipping his head toward Jan, who was watching the whole thing closely with wide eyes.

"The professor is looking on Cerebro," Jean promised quickly. "We don't know where they've gone, but it won't take long-"

But Logan wasn't talking to anyone at that point - the strain clear to see around the corners of his eyes as he pushed to get closer to where the rest of the Avengers were gathered up looking for some kind of sign or signal that they'd found … anything.

Steve was the one to step forward to try and at least tell Logan what little he knew - and promptly get out of the way as Logan nearly ran through the barn chasing down the scent trail, still not speaking a word as he dove into his work.

* * *

While most of the Avengers had gone to Westchester, Hank had been in the middle of some very delicate work that he couldn't abandon just like that without the whole experiment collapsing in on itself, so he'd been in the lab for the last few hours or so on his own.

He had only just finished the experiment, too - when the alarms went off in the tower.

"You've got to be kidding me," he muttered to himself before he left the lab to see what was going on now - fully expecting to find one of the Avengers' enemies trying to take advantage of a seemingly empty headquarters.

So he absolutely hadn't been expecting to see Scott helping K to a seat. She looked like she was barely regaining consciousness and very dizzy, and Scott looked as angry as Hank had ever seen him - including when the kid had been standing up to Tony (which was a highlight of when they visited, really). Which probably had something to do with the third visitor to the tower.

"Scott," the pale man in victorian clothes said. "Come along now."

At that, Scott straightened up and nodded, and Hank narrowed his eyes as he saw the young man silently start to follow the stranger out of the room.

He might not have known Scott and his family as well as the other Avengers did, but he knew the three of them were close - and he knew from experience that Scott didn't quietly go along with someone he disagreed with.

He needed to see what was going on. So he took a quick moment to follow Scott and the strange man - and quickly send Jarvis out to check on K - before he shrank down and hitched a ride in the collar of Scott's shirt.

Hank didn't know what he was expecting to find, but he knew something was very wrong when they got in a car and simply drove off, leaving K at the Avengers' headquarters. Hank knew that K was pregnant, and that added an element to this that felt even more off than it already was.

Hank hadn't been expecting the car to take them all the way to the countryside - or for it to stop at an old-fashioned house, though he supposed he should have expected that much when the man with Scott looked and dressed the way he did.

Weirder still was the fact that there seemed to be a room set aside - with the lock on the outside - for Scott. Hank's internal alarms were all going off when he saw it, especially when Scott was so quiet as he simply sat down across from the pale man, who took Scott's head in both hands as his eyes and the diamond in the center of his forehead glowed.

"So much work to repair," Essex muttered. "You've nearly dismantled all of my work, my boy." he tutted to himself. "At least those meddling heroes didn't manage to remove the physical blocks, so it's not quite as bad as it could be, I suppose. Even if it will take time …"

Hank frowned at that. He wasn't sure what the doctor was doing, but he knew enough to know it was time to step in. He made sure to hit his Avengers' comm to signal the team and then, in a blink, he was regular-sized, pushing the doctor back and away from Scott and stepping in between them. "That's enough of that."

The doctor's eyes flashed as he got to his feet. "How tiresome," he said. "You have no business here, Avenger."

Hank shook his head and gestured to Scott, who was still looking almost… dazed. "What exactly do you think you're doing?"

"I don't expect you to understand my research," the doctor sneered.

But that was absolutely the wrong thing to say to Dr. Hank Pym, of all people. "Research," he repeated, the disbelief and anger clear in his tone before he shook his head. "I know 'scientists' like you. And this?" He narrowed his eyes. "This is not research."

"I have been researching the mutant gene since before you were even conceived," Essex shot back angrily.

"Yeah?" Hank raised an eyebrow. "This doesn't look like research to anyone that properly follows the scientific method . This looks like kidnapping and telepathic interference." He held up both hands. "But what would I know. I only have a handful of PhD's and several degrees in actual sciences."

When Essex let out a noise of pure anger and lashed out, Hank shrank down fast, then popped right back up to hit Essex hard and seemingly out of nowhere -then he keep going, not just in the physical assault but the verbal takedown.

"You know that woman is pregnant," Hank said as he continued to duck, dodge, and shrink and resize. "You engineered the entire pregnancy and you don't have the sense to know better than to interfere with her? Trauma, stress, dizziness, drugs - you claim to be some kind of researcher, then you turn around and inflict all sorts of trauma on her? Do better."

"You know nothing-"

"You don't have the intellectual high ground here," Hank interrupted - and then he simply had to focus on resizing as the doctor tried a telepathic assault instead, and while shrinking down didn't hide him from that entirely, it did help immensely to keep him safe from any other attack - and gave him a chance to ask a few carpenter ants to organize a painful distraction to throw off the telepathic concentration….

Hank wasn't going to let this guy get away with it. Any of it. Especially not in the name of science.

* * *

Back at the Avenger's mansion, Jarvis had gotten K inside and even into a bed since she was clearly more dizzy than he liked to see. But once she was inside and relatively safe and sound, he was sure to reach out to Tony and let him know all that he'd seen. "Doctor Pym went along with the young man you're looking for," Jarvis said. "And the lovely young woman that heads his family is here now."

Tony let out a breath of relief on hearing it as he started to ask the interface inside the suit to notify him of where, precisely Pym was. "Thank you, Jarvis," he said. "We'll be back soon, just keep an eye on her."

"I have to say," Jarvis said before Tony could cut the connection. "I never truly believed that I'd be watching over a pregnant woman for you, but here we are …"

"Yeah, thanks for that too. Just what I needed," Tony grumbled.

"I've already locked the building dow, so do take care when you return, Mr. Stark."

"Perfect. Thanks again, Jarvis. You're a lifesaver," Tony said in a much more reasonable tone.

"What have you got?" Steve asked, catching up to Tony with an expectant look.

"He's not too far from here," Tony told him. "Pym hitched a ride on Scott … we can catch up quick enough."

"How did Hank find him?"

"Oh, that's the best part," Tony said, sounding irritated. "They dropped K off in front of our HQ."

"What."

"Jarvis has her inside," Tony said. "He's taking care of her and he locked down the mansion. No one's getting in."

Steve shook his head slowly. "I'm going to want to know the whole story when we get done."

"You and me both," Tony agreed. "We need to catch up to Pym before he gets himself in trouble."

"What that about Hank?" Jan asked - just back from going with Jean to check on Charles' search efforts.

"He's with Scott and the 'tall terribly out of date pale man' as Jarvis put it." Tony looked irritated, though he had been sure to copy Jarvis' accent perfectly.

Jean's eyes were wide. "That… is a pretty accurate description, actually."

"Well, let's go get them," Jan said.

"Hitch with Cap," Tony said just before he rocketed off. "Coordinates are on deck."

Of course, Tony was the first to arrive at the old-fashioned house, though he wasn't the first to find Hank or Scott. He was a bit delayed by a couple men who looked like they'd eaten an entire football team for breakfast. He was sure to warn his incoming teammates though. "Ah … really big guys here," he said, blasting several of them back. "I've got it … but … you've been warned."

"At least that's something Hank can deal with," Jan said, though it was obvious she was worried all the same as she and Steve - and the rest of a very worried group of heroes - caught up. She took one look at the big guys and let out a little noise before she shrank down and zipped around them, determined to find her boyfriend - and Scott.

Logan was perfectly set - destroying as many of the massive bodyguards as were willing to step in front of him - and Jan zipped around him too until she'd gotten inside, where she could hear raised voices upstairs and followed her ears.

She certainly hadn't been expecting to find Hank in a fight … no, that wasn't accurate. He was beating up a pale doctor, clearly furious.

"Don't you talk to me about scientific methodology!"

Jan blinked at Hank before she couldn't help but smile and then called out, "You tell him, Hank!"

Hank seemed surprised and looked up to see Jan, and he finally let go of the punch-drunk doctor. "Oh good. You're here."

Jan giggled and nodded before she called out to the rest of the team - not that she really needed to when they were all steadily working their way over.

The only thing that got Logan to snap out of his red-line was the simple fact that Scott was still simply … sitting there. He sent a handful of claws through the bodyguard in front of him and slid over to where Scott was still peacefully staring. "Scotty, wake up," he was saying, going so far as to turn his head a little to try and get his attention, holding Scott's head in his hands. And when it was clear that wasn't working, he called in the specialist. "Jeannie!"

"That 'doctor' did something to him," Hank said, the anger clear in the way he said 'doctor.' "Not just telepathy. He mentioned physical blocks. I don't know what it was, and all he wanted to tell me was that he was a geneticist and that he was studying mutant potential."

"Yeah, that's his line," Logan said as he guided Jean over to where Scott was still staring. "Fix it."

Jean looked honestly upset at the state of affairs as she sat down and then took Scott's hand, closing her eyes to concentrate. And while Jean focused, Jan couldn't help but lean over to steal a kiss with Hank, who still looked fairly upset over the whole thing too. Steve was making it a point to restrain the unconscious doctor and recruited Tony to help him remove the guy so that Jean and Logan could have quiet and privacy with Scott while Jean worked.

Logan couldn't see what Jean was doing, but he could tell it was hard work when she honestly started to sweat, and her skin was hot to the touch - before she finally let out a breath and leaned back, and Scott started to look around at last.

"Jean?"

Jean gave Scott a tired, soft smile and then positively threw herself into a hug and kissed him back to senselessness. "Welcome back."

Scott still looked a little groggy, though he wrapped his arms around Jean and rested his head on her shoulder. "Hi," he said softly, though after a moment, he picked his head up and looked toward Logan. "Mom… Mom's in New York…"

"Yeah, that's what Stark said," Logan replied, though he didn't relax even slightly.

"Jarvis is taking care of her," Jean assured Scott.

"You three - or four -" Hank said, still looking angry at all of it, "- you have to come back to our HQ." He pointed at Scott. "I need to get some better scans of you to see whatever it was that he implanted, and I'm going to need you," he turned to Logan. " to make sure your wife lets us look her over too. Somehow I doubt Tony will be able to manage that."

"We should get moving then," Jean said, taking a moment to pull Scott to his feet and then look toward Logan. "I've got him. You take care of K."

"All the same I want to know all of it," Logan replied, though he surprised the kids when he took a hold of Tony's arm on his way to talk to Steve. "You're getting me there now."

"O-kay," Tony said. "I guess I am." He wasn't about to argue it, considering what they knew, and he simply took off with Logan hanging on as the rest of the team made their way to follow in the Quinjet.

Of course, when they got there, Logan didn't wait for Tony to direct him - following the scent trail at a run until he found where Jarvis had more or less tucked her in. He couldn't hide his relief at seeing her simply curled up and asleep. He ran a hand through his hair and made his way over to curl around her as she slept.

It was no surprise that Scott, at least a little more with it now, had insisted on finding the two of them before anything else once they arrived, too, and when he saw the two of them curled up, he looked visibly relieved. "He was going to keep her," he said softly. "I convinced him he couldn't…"

"What about you?" Logan asked. "What happened?"

Scott shrugged, though it was plain to see he was upset by the set of his jaw. "Nothing new," he muttered.

"I know you don't wanna talk about it," Logan said. "But if you change your mind …"

"Yeah." Scott looked past him at K. "He… seemed like he'd done this before," he admitted quietly. "He said he didn't want Creed to mess it up this time."

At that, Logan froze and slowly turned toward Scott. "What."

"That's why I was able to convince him to let me bring her here," Scott said dully. "It was safer."

"And it was Creed," Logan said quietly, clearly trying to think back and work through it.

"I won't let that happen, Dad," Scott said.

"I can't ... " He frowned and shook his head, letting it fall, but looking overly serious.

"Dr. Pym said he wanted to look at them," Jean prompted when both Scott and Logan had been silent for some time.

"Yeah, sure," Logan replied, sounding distracted."Go ahead, Scotty. We'll catch up."

"You'll want to be there to know what he finds," Jean said, and when Logan nodded, she let out a breath and took Scott's arm. "See you there."

Jean was obviously worried about the whole of Scott's family as she walked with Scott down to where Hank and Tony were both waiting. She didn't like that this had happened so soon after … everything else. Scott's dad, the department, all of it.

But she wasn't going to say anything just yet when it was all so recent and fresh, so instead, she let Scott put his head on her shoulder and held both of his hands as Hank explained what he was setting up.

It took a little time, but Logan and K did finally make their way to the lab, where not only was Hank working on the scans for Scott, but he was grumbling under his breath about poor scientific method too. K was obviously still dizzy, and it took no time at all for Coulson to make his way over from the SHIELD section of the building once he'd heard what had happened. He got there just as Hank was looking over the results for Scott with a frown.

"Are you going to let me in now, K?" Coulson asked after he'd taken half a moment to wrap her up in a quick hug.

"You're in," K said, frowning into his shoulder. "Uncle Phil. You're already in."

Hank barely looked up at the scene before he went back to what he was doing. "We're going to have to go in and remove these."

"Remove what? What did that idiot do now?" Coulson demanded.

"Long story," Hank said, still without looking up.

"Make it shorter," Coulson replied, letting go of K only because Logan had come over to collect her..

"Remember those implants?" Hank gestured to K as Logan helped her to the scanner. "Their owner - claiming to be a scientist - decided to stage a kidnapping and call it an experiment."

"I thought that was established when you figured out what the capsule was for."

"No," Hank said sharply. "He grabbed them today. And apparently, he's had these…" He gestured angrily at the scanner. "...things in Scott's head for years."

"Is it going to be something you can get out?" Coulson asked.

"This kind of thing?" Hank shook his head. "No. I'm not a surgeon, and I'm not qualified to do anything with the human brain - not this kind of thing anyway. I map it; I don't cut into it."

"I can start looking for someone competent in that field then," Coulson said before he turned toward the two ferals and Scott too. "If it's all the same, I don't want you three going anywhere until we straighten this out. This is me asking nicely. If I have to, I'll throw my weight into it, but I'd rather keep it civil."

"Sounds like I'll need to stay anyway," Scott said quietly.

"Why's that?" Coulson asked.

Scott gestured to Hank. "You heard him. There's something in my head."

"There's been something in your head for a long time," Hank clarified. "I don't know what they do, but if they were a bigger problem, you'd have known by now."

"I'm pretty comfortable," K said quietly as she leaned on Logan. "Don't really want to move."

"And she's getting an IV," Hank said.

"I'll stay too," Jean said, giving Scott's hand a little squeeze. "I'll make sure Tony doesn't redo your wardrobe while you're still recovering."

Hank had gotten K started with her IV - which was interesting when she honestly didn't fight him on it - and instead had extended her arm wordlessly when he came over to ease her into it. And that was enough for him to see exactly how far off she was … just before the lights in the lab flickered and a few moments later, a strange light lit up the room and out stepped the sorcerer supreme with Tony….

"Found your doc," Tony called out Scott's way.

Scott blinked at Tony. "You… don't do anything normal, do you."

"Hey," Tony defended, gesturing between himself, Doctor Strange, and Scott. "You need a neurosurgeon, right? Well … there you go." He paused, eyebrows raised. "You did know he's a real doctor, right?"

"We… haven't really had the pleasure," Scott admitted, holding out his hand for the doctor to shake. "Scott Summers."

"Doctor Stephen Strange," the strange doctor replied, taking Scott's hand. "What have you been into that requires a neuro consult?"

"I wish I knew," Scott said with a grim sort of smile. "I just know a mad scientist left implants in my skull. I'm still wrapping my head around it myself."

"As I understand it, this is the same so called scientist that interfered with your parents as well?" Strange asked, then gestured to Tony. "He gave me a general run down on the way." He was already looking over Hank's shoulder at the results of the scan. "Oh, yeah. That should pop right out."

"That guy's not a neuroscientist," Hank said. "Scott's lucky he didn't do lasting damage."

Strange gestured to the scan. "He may not be a professional, but if he was looking to interfere with a few functions, he certainly hit the right area."

Scott frowned. "What… was he doing?" he asked.

"If I were to guess, I'd say it was an attempt to inhibit your abilities," Strange said almost flippantly.

"Wait." Scott blinked at him. "No… he … wanted to study the powers."

"Young man, I don't know what his intentions were, but I can tell you what's become of the attempt. If he knew what he was doing, he might have been able to turn it off entirely."

Jean bit her lip before she leaned forward. "It… makes sense," she said hesitantly, and when Scott turned her way, she let out a breath. "It does. The memories I've been through with you - he wanted you to rely on him, and he wanted control. If you couldn't control your powers without him…"

"It could also be a throttle," Strange said. "To keep you from being powerful enough to do him damage."

"Well, once it's out, he'll regret that," Scott said under his breath.

"Where is he anyhow?" K asked, even if Strange and Hank had missed Scott's sentiment.

"In custody," Tony said. "Steve's making sure he's well contained."

"Not here," she said, sitting up a little straighter.

"Not a chance, honey," Tony said, holding up both hands. "Give us some credit. Come on."

She paused and tipped her chin up. "You're not thinking of recruiting this one too, are you?"

"Hey. First of all, Clint was Steve's idea. Second of all? No. I'm at my limit."

K couldn't help but smirk at him since he clearly missed the tease. "So sensitive."

"Never gonna be over it," Tony said without missing a beat.

"Really? I thought I helped you with that a little," she said, letting her head rest again.

Tony smirked. "Hey, don't get me wrong. The guy's doing well on the team, and I can work with him. But I get to hang onto this forever: Steve hired a guy who's last job was to kill me."

"I think it was pretty well impressed on him that was a stupid idea though," K defended.

"Right," Tony said, shaking his head as he leaned against the wall and watched Strange as he got set up to get to work while Dr. Pym started Scott on the meds and sent him through pre-op.

Scott was clearly uncomfortable with the whole thing - being in another medical arena this soon after escaping Essex didn't exactly sit well with him. But once he'd been through everything to go into surgery, Jean sat beside him until he drifted off, and then she stayed as close as Dr. Strange allowed her to, chewing on her bottom lip the whole time.

Strange, meanwhile, took a few moments to look at the scans more carefully and come up with a plan before he had the music turned on and prepared to start surgery. "I know you don't think much of the man's scientific skill, Dr. Pym," he said as he looked over the tools laid out for him, "but you have to admit, this Essex was incredibly adept at hiding what he was doing. If you didn't know there were implants and you had taken this to a less-qualified surgeon, they would have said this was residual damage from the young man's plane crash." He tipped his head. "That is, in fact, what his medical record states. It's a cleverly-hidden device. I'll give him that."

"But you can get it out," Jean said as he was getting scrubbed in. It wasn't really a question, even though she had meant to ask it like one. The truth was she was so tired of seeing Scott get jerked around that she couldn't exactly sit by quietly.

"Of course I can," Strange said, almost bristling. "You couldn't have asked for a better surgeon."

"Modest too," K said with one eyebrow raised Jean's way, which at least got a little smile out of the very stressed girl.

"Your concern is well noted, ladies," Strange said. "But I'm afraid we'll be going into some sensitive territory, so I'm going to ask for a closed theater. You can wait in the observation room if you must, but the OR has to be cleared."

"Alright," K said mildly before she got to her feet. And though Strange didn't know her, it was clear that he'd picked up how odd it was that she was acting so … subdued.


	19. Like Father, Like Son

Thankfully, Scott's procedure didn't take too long, medically speaking - even if to those that were waiting, it felt like a long time. And without the stress of trying to  _find_ Scott and K and worrying about where they were, it wasn't long before Jean, at least, drifted off. K wasn't far behind either - if for no other reason than that she was still a dizzy and worn, and Logan hadn't left her side at all.

Logan, however, was still very much awake, thinking over everything that had happened. He was furious about it all, of course, but he wasn't about to leave until he was sure Scott was alright. So he heard it when the silicone device hit the tray in the operating room below the observation room.

Strange looked up to see Logan watching him and gave him a little nod. "I just need to close him up again," he said. "He'll be perfectly fine - but he should  _not_ be up and about for at least six weeks if he wants to keep from sustaining  _actual_ brain damage." When Logan nodded at that, Strange simply went back to what he was doing.

When he was finished, and Scott was resting, Strange was still shaking his head to himself as he brought the small device to Pym. "Tony said the two of you would want to see this."

Hank took the silicone device gingerly and then nodded, his eyes narrowed as he examined it. "I'll prep it for Tony. How'd it go?"

"Flawlessly," Strange said easily, before he breezed past Hank to let Tony know he was done - and to give someone besides the overly-worried family the warning that his patient was  _not_ allowed to get up for a while yet.

Tony nodded wordlessly at that and then, once Strange was gone - back to his sanctum - he headed off to go find Steve and let him know what the score was. After all, the whole team had gotten pretty protective of Scott and his family, and Tony knew Steve wasn't going to relax until he heard one way or another what the status was on both Scott and K.

* * *

Scott was groggy when he started to wake up at last, so he was more than a little concerned when the first thing he realized was that he was definitely  _not_ at home.

He began to sit up and then panicked when his wrists hit resistance and someone put a hand on his chest to stop him - until he realized that the person on the other end of that hand was  _Jean_ , smiling gently at him.

 _You're alright,_ Jean projected to him, and Scott leaned back against the pillows. He felt more tired than he had in a long time.  _Dr. Strange went in and got the thing Essex put in your head._

 _Right._ Scott closed his eyes as the memory of what had been happening before he went under hit him all over again. He felt his hands clench in the blankets he was lying on and his cheeks flush. He hated this feeling of being…  _violated_. And he hated dealing with Essex, hated how scared the doctor made him.

 _Dr. Pym and Tony Stark have been looking at the device they pulled out,_ Jean said, trying to coax him out of his own thoughts, though she kept the conversation telepathic when she knew his parents were asleep nearby, and she knew Logan hadn't allowed himself to sleep for a  _while_ , so she didn't want to wake them.  _Stark says it's a lot like the inhibitor field the department used, but more complex. It isn't a complete inhibitor, but it does block some access and tone your powers down._

 _And it's out now,_ Scott said, still a little groggy and wanting to make sure he had at least that much straight.

Jean nodded and leaned over to kiss his cheek.  _But this is good news,_ she said, again trying to cheer him up when it was obvious he was still upset over, well, all of it.  _It should be easier to access your powers now._ She tapped the side of his face just above his glasses.  _It would be nice to get to look you in the eyes all the time,_ she added, this time with a sly smile and one raised eyebrow and a look that she knew Scott couldn't ignore.

Sure enough, he started to smile and nodded slowly.  _Yeah,_ he said.  _That would definitely be nice._

 _I'm sure the professor will help you as soon as we get back to Westchester,_ Jean said.

Scott nodded again, latching onto the idea of something he could  _do_.  _So, when do we leave?_ He asked. He tipped his head toward where Logan and K were curled up together.  _Once they wake up?_

Jean bit her lip and shook her head.  _You just had_ brain surgery _, Scott,_ she pointed out.  _You're not supposed to get up for at least a few weeks.._

Scott frowned at that.  _Oh,_ he said simply, which would have been the only thing he said if not for the fact that he and Jean were having a telepathic conversation, and she could hear how much being in a medical setup, even if it was a comfortable bed,  _bothered_ him. Deeply.

 _And here I thought you were just trying to be macho and impressive when you put Hank off after missions,_ Jean teased lightly.

Scott turned her way with a puzzled sort of frown.  _What?_

 _It's alright, Scott. Everyone is afraid of something. I don't blame you at_ all  _that yours is doctors and hospitals._

Scott frowned a little deeper and then shook his head, looking away again.  _I'm fine, Jean._

 _It's alright not to be,_ Jean said, then broke into a teasing sort of smile and leaned over to steal a long and lingering kiss.  _Because if you're not alright, then I can take care of you._

By the time Jean let up on the kiss, there was no way Scott could stop grinning.  _You make a very good point,_ he said.

She smiled a little wider.  _So, what should we do with a couple weeks' bed rest away from the team?_

 _Whatever you want to do,_ Scott said, though she noticed that he was starting to drift off again. He couldn't have been anywhere near recovered from the surgery yet, and she was sure whatever drugs Strange had given him on top of everything else he'd been on weren't exactly conducive to staying awake.

 _I'll pick a movie then,_ Jean said, giving his hand a little squeeze.

"Sounds good," Scott said tiredly before, once again, he drifted off.

* * *

Steve, meanwhile, had decided to seek out this so-called doctor for himself as soon as he heard that Scott was alright. Relatively, speaking anyway.

He was more than furious when he got to the SHIELD compound, his hands in fists and his body language screaming that he was ready for a fight. The agents on duty clearly noticed it, too, because Steve got more of a wide berth than usual.

He made a beeline to where Dr. Essex was being held and stopped outside of the energy barrier - the best defense that SHIELD had, provided by Tony and Hank's combined genius. The doctor on the other side of the barrier looked a lot better than he had looked when Hank had a hold of him, though that tracked with what Steve knew from Logan and Scott about this guy and his healing abilities.

The man picked his head up when Steve approached and then chuckled low, shaking his head. "Whatever answers you came here to find, you won't find them, Captain Rogers," he said.

"That makes sense," Steve said, his eyes still narrowed. "Because I can't think of a single reason for  _anyone_ to do what you did to that kid."

But that only seemed to delight the doctor, and he sat up suddenly straighter, leaning forward with more interest. "You  _care_ about him," he said. It wasn't a question, but he said it with enough fascination that it rubbed Steve the wrong way.

"He's a good kid."

"He is the perfect genetic specimen for my research," Essex said, his smile stretching wider. "On that we can agree - he is worth notice."

Steve glared at that. "I'm damn sure he didn't ask for your  _notice_."

"He was ten years old when he came to me, barely even cognizant of  _what_ he was, let alone his potential-"

"No." Steve slammed a fist against the wall close to the energy barrier hard enough that the sound echoed and Essex fell silent, raising both eyebrows at the display. "No. You don't get to sit there and try to  _justify_ yourself to me. Nothing you say will make kidnapping and torturing a  _kid_ okay."

Essex shook his head. "You don't understand-"

"I understand plenty," Steve spit out. "I know how Wolverine found that kid, and I know you implanted something in his brain to keep him from outstripping you." When Essex looked surprised, Steve tipped his chin up. "Yeah, that had to go. You don't get to  _lobotomize_ kids just because you're threatened by them."

"His potential-"

"He's a teenager," Steve cut across Essex shortly. "And since the day I've met him, he hasn't been able to act like one. Not entirely. You want to talk about his potential? Why don't we talk about how much of that you  _squandered_ taking away his childhood."

Essex sneered. "You care  _so_ much, Captain Rogers, but you don't even see what I'm doing," he said. "My work is bigger than any one mutant. I'm safeguarding the very  _future_."

Steve let out a huff that said exactly what he thought of  _that_ argument.

Essex smirked at that reaction, though, and leaned back against the wall of his cell. "I don't expect you to understand, of course," he said. "You have barely even opened your eyes to see the world around you as it truly is. I don't expect you to see the future I do, one where mutantkind evolves and surpasses humanity, as it should. The X-gene, you see, is the future. And I merely help it along, ensure that the strongest genes, the best minds, are nurtured."

"Sounds a lot like something I used to hear," Steve said, his arms crossed. "Back in the war."

Essex let out an irritated noise at that and waved his hand. "Eugenics," he said, spitting the word out like a curse. "That is such a limited view. I'm not advocating the simple destruction of humankind. I'm advocating its  _extinction_."

"Sounds awful lot like the same thing to me," Steve replied. "And it's sure as hell not anything any of them advocate."

"Then you don't understand the future of your own species," Essex said. "You  _are_ on your way out. It's time to step aside, Captain. Let the future progress as it should."

Steve narrowed his eyes at that. "You should be careful what you wish for, mister. Our guys ran a few tests on  _you_  while you were out, and our tests? They say you're not a mutant either."

"Simply guiding them along," Essex said. "Not getting in their way."

"And assuming you know best."

"My good captain, of course I do," Essex said, waving his hand. "It's my  _job_ to know best."

"If you're not paid, it's not your job," Steve replied, turning to leave. "You're just another psycho with a complex."

"Believe what you will. But my research will outlive you."

"Same to you, pal," Cap said over his shoulder. "And I wouldn't bet on that."

"Because you aren't quite human yourself either," Essex replied, without raising his tone, but loud enough that Steve could hear. "We'll see how that pans out too."

Steve shook his head, but rather than give the guy any more of his time, he simply stalked out of the holding area, past the same SHIELD agents that had given him a wide berth before. He didn't feel that much better for having talked to the guy, but he did feel like he had a better idea of just  _what_ his friends were facing, and that in itself was valuable intel.

He was still stewing the whole trip back, though by the time he did reach the Avengers headquarters, the sun was rising, and he was finally starting to feel the all-nighter.

Logan, K, Scott, and Jean had stayed the night right there in the recovery room. Not because it was required for all of them, but because K honestly didn't want to move - and Scott was officially in recovery under Doc Strange's supervision. Which left Logan going between the two of them and Jean helping him to fill in.

So when Steve saw it, he was pretty sure that neither of them had had the time yet to take care of themselves, and as tired as he was, he was still too worked up not to try to  _do_ something.

Which was how he found himself in Logan and K's room not that much later - bearing a quickly-made breakfast and coffee. "Needed something to do," he told Logan in explanation as he set it down on the table by K.

"You really didn't have to," Logan said. "I'd have gotten to it soon enough."

"Yeah, well, now you don't have to," Steve said.

"Thanks," he said in a breath. "Where you been? Looks like you been up all night, soldier."

"Just getting a little firsthand intel," Steve said, his eyes narrowed.

"Yeah? What'd you find?" Logan asked as K started to move a little in her sleep.

"A lot of the same stuff we heard the first time we met," Steve said, shaking his head. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall as he met Logan's gaze. "He's the same as they all were back then."

"You sound surprised," Logan said, shaking his head.

"I shouldn't be," Steve said. "But I keep expecting the world to be better, somehow. I woke up to a world  _after_ the defeat of Hitler. That was supposed to die with him."

"He's a throwback, Cap," Logan said. "Older than I am."

That at least got Steve to stop. "Seriously?"

"Seriously," he said, nodding. "I met him … before any of the wars I fought in."

Steve let out a low whistle. "Pym says he's completely human. Those powers … what, mad scientist?" He held up a hand. "Don't answer that. Of course it is."

"Oh yeah," Logan said. "I don't remember all of it. But I know what he showed me wasn't made up. I was  _young_. Maybe a few years older than Scott is now."

Steve shook his head. "You must have been one of the first people he studied, then. There couldn't have been many mutants back then."

"Yeah, from what I remember, he was pretty excited." He looked up at Steve. "Stabbed him then, too. Don't remember exactly why though."

"Probably because he's a class A lunatic," Steve said dryly.

Logan shrugged as K stretched out next to him and finally opened her eyes. "Why are you two gossiping?" she asked in a smoky tone.

Steve paused and then smirked and shrugged. "Because we're old men. This is what we do, apparently."

"It is," she agreed with a little smile. "And you're both adorable when you do it."

Steve smirked a little harder at that. "How you feeling?" he asked.

"Dizzy, still," K admitted. "Little bit like I've been in a fight or two. Nothing major I don't think. How are  _you_ feeling?"

"Like hitting the gym for a while. Or a good sim. I could take off the Skull's head in the mood I'm in."

"Yeah? Who dunnit, and do you want some help?"

Steve chuckled at that. "I'll let you know if I need help. Right now, the guy who did it is sitting in a very secure SHIELD cell." He shook his head. "I still can't believe he kidnapped a  _pregnant_ woman."

"Oh," she said. "That guy." K shook her head as Logan handed her the coffee. "I'd like to say something flippant - about how jealous he is that I'm crafty enough to make people, but … doesn't quite … fit."

"Not entirely," Steve agreed. "And I don't know that he's someone to be flippant about. But regardless, he's locked up, and you're both safe."

"He's locked up for now," K said. "And we're relatively safe."

"Yeah, your family seems to draw attention in waves, doesn't it?" Steve said, shaking his head as he took a seat near Logan, facing K. "First it was the department, then I hear about some people-eating island, then  _aliens_ , now this?"

"Technically, the two middle ones were Scott's team," Logan said.

"Thanks, though," K said. "I don't know what happened, but I know I didn't just materialize here."

"Scott brought you here, actually," Steve said. "Talked the guy into it somehow, though he hasn't said how."

"Well, where is he now?" K asked.

Steve thumbed over his shoulder. "Next room over, in recovery." He quickly held up his hands. "He's fine. We just had to get out an implant like you had and another one that was inside his skull. But you know … he doesn't heal from that kind of thing as fast as you do." He paused and tipped his head. "You were awake enough to joke around with Tony, but apparently not fully conscious," he teased.

"I can joke around in my sleep and he's an easy mark," K defended.

"Clearly," Steve chuckled. "It wasn't a dig - honestly, it's funnier knowing you weren't all there for the verbal spar."

"What did I do?" she asked, pulling her knees up. "And how bad was it?"

"Don't worry about it," Logan said. "Just get yourself past the dizzy crap."

"It really wasn't anything awful. Just some razzing about his sensitivity to Clint," Steve said with a smirk. "Which is hilarious, considering he's already working up some trick arrows for the guy. He likes to  _say_ he doesn't trust him, but I've seen the specs."

"He's a showman," K said with a wave. She paused as she looked at all Steve had brought up. "And you're a sweetheart."

"I was raised right," Steve said with a shrug. "And you've been through hell before you're even far enough along to show. Only right that you should get a little extra attention for the rest of the time."

"You're secretly excited about this aren't you?" K asked.

Steve broke into a smirk. "Secretly?"

"Well aside from some teasing a while ago, I haven't heard a word about it," she replied. "So I figured it was just the usual someone got married razzing."

Steve shrugged. "Well, yeah, there's plenty of that," he admitted. "But I also know I consider you both friends, and I've seen enough of what you've both been put through to know you deserve more happiness in your lives. So hey, this seems like a good way to tip those scales, don't you think?"

"I guess we'll see," she said. "Sure as hell wasn't how I wanted to ever get here."

"Yeah, forget the mad scientist," Steve said. "You two did the fun part. That's the important thing here."

"Don't go sparking up my paranoia now," K said, giving him a look. "I have more than enough of that on my own."

Steve laughed and held up his hands. "Hey, I'm just the breakfast delivery service."

"I knew it didn't look like Logan's work," she said with a little smirk. "America's sweetheart."

"Already established," Steve said. "And hey, I brought up enough you can take it next door and talk to your kid."

"You're my favorite Avenger," K said.

Steve smirked. "Oh good. That's definitely what I was gunning for."

"Mission accomplished," Logan chuckled. "Have fun spreadin' it around."

"Are you sure you don't want to bring it to him?" K asked. "He'd probably break his face smiling at you."

"I'm sure he'd rather see you," Steve said. "He was worried sick over you when he dropped you here, according to Hank."

"He's a sweet kid, but I don't remember him being anywhere near me," K said.

"Then you'll have to ask him how it went down," Steve said. "All we know is that you two showed up with that Essex character and Scott made sure you were situated before he left with the guy."

"Sinister," K said. "He's calling himself Sinister."

"Of course he is," Steve said dryly.

"I didn't pick it out," she said.

"If you had, it wouldn't be something so melodramatic," Steve said.

"Don't challenge her," Logan replied as he shook Steve's hand.

"Wasn't trying to," Steve laughed. "Seriously, go have breakfast with your son and his girlfriend. I'm sure they'll be happy to see you."

K had Logan pull her to her feet before she made the very short trip to get a hold of Steve's arm then popped up to give him a little kiss on the cheek. "You're the best. Thanks, again."

Steve smiled. "Anytime. You'll let me know if you need anything?"

"Oh, sure," she said in a heavy, sarcastic tone.

"Guess I'll just have to invite myself over and check in on you. Oh no," Steve said, matching her tone as he headed for the door. "I'll just have to suffer through some poker with my friends!"

Logan smirked at Steve as he gathered up the tray and K was careful as she led the way - or at least, led the charge with one hand on Logan's arm. She lightly knocked on the door just before she opened it - to find Jean and Scott very quietly conversing and snuggled up with each other. "Mornin'," Logan said, though he tried not to smirk at the shades both of them were turning.

Scott was having trouble  _not_ blushing - until he saw K, and then that at least had him perking up a little. "Hey, Mom."

"I really don't like waking up to you on a stretcher," K told him as she took a seat on the foot of his bed.

"Believe me; I don't like waking up  _in_ one," he told her.

"Then don't get into the habit," she said before she gestured at Logan. "You got Captain America all worried about you. He even made you breakfast."

Scott turned somehow redder at that. "I… didn't mean to - he didn't have to-"

"He made it for both of you," Logan said, shaking his head.

"Well, what did he make?" Jean asked, trying to keep Scott from turning any redder.

"Buncha stuff," K said. "Dive in. I have the coffee."

Jean smiled at that and didn't make a move to uncurl from Scott, simply telekinetically pouring two mugs full before she brought them over - since Scott wasn't supposed to be up and about either, so she had decided to stick with him for the duration.

"I'm glad you're up, Mom," Scott said, sitting up a bit more with the coffee in hand.

"Yeah, you're going to have to fill me in a little," K admitted.

"Well, how much do you remember?" Scott asked. "I can fill in the blanks…"

"I … was in the barn," K said. "Feeding the animals … and then I wasn't."

Scott frowned hard at that and shook his head slowly. "Well… I found you in the barn, and you weren't responsive, so that makes sense, I guess." He let out a breath. "Essex was there. I tried to stop him… and when I couldn't, I just tried to make sure you were alright," he said, dropping his gaze to his mug at the last part.

"You didn't have to do that, Scott," K said.

"Yeah, I did," he said without looking up. "You're my mom. And I'm not losing another one."

"I love you too, but I don't think he would have killed me."

"No, but I had to talk him out of  _keeping_ you," Scott said, finally looking up at her again. "And that - that wasn't going to happen if I could help it."

At that, K bit her lip and nodded. "Yeah, okay. That's a good reason then. Thank you, sweet, darling little caramel mocha."

"We gotta come up with a better way to deal with this guy," Logan said in a low rumble.

"Yes, please," Jean said. "I'd like not to watch you three throw yourselves in the fire for each other."

"That's not-" Scott started to say, but then Jean gave him a  _look_. "Okay, well, I thought the Avengers had him locked up. What if we start with an alert system so we know if he gets out again?" he offered instead.

"I'm sure Tony can work something up," K said. "He lives and breathes for that kind of thing."

"And I'll bet Dr. Pym will help," Jean said. "He's  _still_ mad at Essex."

Scott tipped his head Jean's way as he looked toward K. "Apparently, Hank Pym hitched a ride on my shirt and took offense to Essex, so he's been pretty involved."

"Really?" K asked, looking honestly surprised to hear it. " _Hank Pym_."

"I don't actually remember it, but then again, I don't remember anything after we dropped you off here," Scott admitted. "But Jean says he was actually  _winning_ the fight. Had Essex almost unconscious by the time the rescue team arrived."

"I thought he didn't  _like_ me," K said, scrunching her nose. "Must like you a lot more than I thought."

"He doesn't hate either of you," Jean said, shaking her head. "And for the record, he was pretty upset that you were in the state you were. He was projecting pretty loudly just how much he couldn't stand Essex's take on 'science' and how angry he was that you two were thrown into parenthood without your consent."

"Oh, well that I can believe," K said.

"Jan was thrilled," Jean said with a troublemaking smile.

"Has anyone seen them since the .. um… incident?"

Jean's smile turned somehow more troublemaking. "Well, they held off until he had a look at the thing that was in Scott's head, but after that…"

"Wait." K stopped and frowned a little harder as she looked at Scott. "I thought … where exactly was this implant? Steve said it was like the other one - and that was a sinus thing … but what ... "

Scott let out a breath, his shoulders dropping as well as his gaze. "Yeah. Well. It wasn't  _new_ ; it was just… something Dr. Pym learned Essex had… well, used to inhibit my power control and make me look like a brain case no one wanted to adopt," he said, glaring into his coffee cup.

K was quiet for a long moment, simply watching Scott. "And where exactly is this idiot at now?"

"The Avengers locked him away," Jean said. "Captain Rogers already went to go yell at him, more or less." She gestured at K. "He had the same look you have now."

"Yeah, but I don't want to yell at him," K said.

"Mom, no," Scott said, shaking his head at that. "We don't know how to make him  _stay_ dead. He's come back from pretty much everything. And we're  _not_ executing someone in Avengers' custody."

"I was thinking a wood chipper might do the trick," K said straight faced, and to Jean's amusement, Logan actually tipped his head to the side slightly.

"Save that for Creed," Scott said, shaking his head before he looked to Logan. "And he's going to be a problem, isn't he? Essex was already looking ahead like it was a guarantee, and if he finds out…"

"I don't know," Logan said. "Don't see how he'd be any worse than he usually is to the women I care about."

"Not exactly reassuring," Scott pointed out.

"Don't know what to tell you," Logan said. "The women I've been even half serious about in the past never made it this far."

"Well, it helps that all three of you are a threat to Creed on your own," Jean pointed out. "And he can't take you all on at once. So…" She shrugged. "You've already got better odds with just your powersets."

"Yeah, she's not goin' anywhere near him," Logan said, watching K closely.

"He's not getting near anyone," Scott said. "If Dr. Strange is right, I should be even more powerful now, and I'll put Creed into next Tuesday if he looks at either of you."

Jean smirked at that and couldn't help but lean over and kiss Scott's cheek. "I bet you will."

"How about you heal up first?" Logan suggested.

"It's only a couple weeks," Scott argued.

"Don't let him kid you. The doctor said 'six weeks,'" Jean said. "And I'm sitting on him until he's cleared, whether he likes it or not."

"He'd probably appreciate that more after he's healed," K shot back, not missing a beat. "Just saying."

"Even I saw that one coming, Jean," Scott teased, laughing even more when Jean let out a scoff at that.

"So you know … that doesn't really sound like a threat," Logan said.

"Well, it's a promise, anyway," Jean said, significantly redder now.

"He doesn't look bothered at all by that," Logan said. "Should we go so you can start threatening him?"

"We can lock the door …"

"Come on, Mom, you know we're not getting up to trouble," Scott said, shaking his head at her. Then, because Logan was chuckling, he couldn't help but add, "I'm not allowed," which got a serious huff out of Jean as she smacked him in the shoulder.

"Exhibitionist … wants to leave the door open," Logan muttered.

"No, I'm really not allowed," Scott said, though he was smirking - even if he was also turning red. "Serious bed rest here. Stop trying to be a grandpa and a new father at the same time, Dad. It's not happening."

"You see that?" Logan asked K seriously.

"I did."

"Means he asked," Logan decided, with K still nodding seriously with him.

"No I - I did  _not_!" Scott said.

"But he  _thought_ about it," K said before she turned to look at Jean significantly. "How much of that are you catchin' by the way?"

Jean flushed almost purple. "I…"

"Teenage boy, after all," Logan said, sounding reasonable. "Can't be totally on the up an' up."

" _Dad._ "

Logan started to chuckle at that. "Don't make me give you the 'perfectly natural' talk now," he teased.

"Please don't," Scott said.

"Would you prefer if I did?" K asked with a troublemaking grin that showed her canines. "I could make drawings …"

" _No_."

"We'll just leave you two alone then," Logan offered, pulling K up to her feet.

"Yes. Well." Scott shook his head. "Honestly, though… I'm glad to see you, Mom."

"Glad to see you too," K said with a little smile. "And as soon as you're feeling up to it, we can figure out what the next move is. Until then, I'm going to go find out what I did to make Tony so twitchy."

"Say hi to the rest of the team for me."

"I'm sure Jan'll be leading the charge to say 'hi'," Logan said. "Rest up, kiddo. We'll be back in a while."

"Try not to get in any trouble while I can't come and help you get out of it again, alright?" Scott said - only half joking, too.

"If I had any idea what I did to get into it this time, I swear, I'd avoid it," K promised. "So maybe … don't go making any deals on my behalf while I'm gone, eh?"

Scott smirked and leaned back, settling in with his head on Jean's shoulder. "Fair enough."


	20. Recovery Period

When all was said and done, it took a full six weeks for Scott to heal enough to pass Doctor Strange's okay to leave his care and head back to the school - though he was still supposed to take it easy for a while. At least until he'd healed well enough that a heavy hit to the head wouldn't put him in serious peril.

But that seemed almost unavoidable. Particularly when his team was so overly pleased to see his return.

Scott was caught completely off-guard by how  _warm_ the welcome back was. Kurt was obviously the first there from sheer speed of teleporting, but it was hardly a few seconds later that the rest of the team got there with plenty of hugs to go around, including a bear hug from Hank and one from Piotr that took him off the ground.

"Woah," Scott said, shaking his head when he was finally back on the ground. "I wasn't gone that long, was I?"

"It certainly seemed that way," Hank said. "Especially since you took the lovely Miss Grey with you - and your parents haven't been back here at all without you."

"That leaves us without a great deal of our team - our  _friends_ ," Storm pointed out, making sure to pull Jean into a warm hug as well. "And leaves us to worry about you on our own."

"Didn't mean to worry you," Scott said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"At any rate, we're all glad to see you return," Charles said as he made his presence known with a soft smile.

Scott nodded at that. "I actually wanted to talk to you, professor," he said. "There's… a lot to unpack after all this, to be honest."

"I'm sure," Charles agreed before he gestured to the hallway. "As always, my door is open whenever you'd like."

Scott nodded at that, already following Charles. He'd had plenty of time to think while he had been in recovery. Weeks, in fact, with nothing to do but consider what Sinister had done and what his family could do in the aftermath.

He knew that something was  _off_ with the way Sinister had been able to control him and his parents - and on the other end of the good news/bad news spectrum, he also knew that he probably had a  _much_ better chance of working with the professor on getting control of his powers without that  _thing_ in his head holding back his powers as well. But then there was the fact that he didn't even remember anything that had happened after he'd seen K safely to Avengers HQ… yeah. There was a lot.

"So, what would you like to discuss, Scott?" Charles asked. "The team is insistent that you continue on as leader should you choose."

Scott blinked in surprise. "I… I wasn't even thinking about that aspect of it," he admitted, then looked down. "Wow. Too caught up in my own problems to remember the team. Are they  _sure_ they want me?"

"Scott," Charles said, tipping his chin down. "Of course they do."

Scott let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair before he shook his head. "Yeah. Well. I actually wanted to ask you to make sure I'm not…  _compromised_. Even if they want me on, it's probably not a good idea unless my head's on straight."

"Am I to understand that you'll finally get the chance to tell me what happened when you were gone?"

Scott gestured broadly. "That's part of it. I only remember the first part, and the rest is a blank. Maybe we can find out together. Dr. Pym filled me in on the gist of it, but it's just… gone right now."

Charles nodded thoughtfully. "And you're sure that you'd like me to take a look?" he asked. "Talking hasn't jostled anything, I take it?"

Scott shook his head. "It's not like I was unconscious for it," he said. "And I know what I must have looked like from the outside…" He trailed off and shook his head. "Why don't I start from the beginning. Because I'm pretty sure Mom and Dad have some telepathic commands that need addressing too."

"Yes, I'm sure they do. Just from the state in which Jean found Logan, it's clear their minds have been tampered with."

Scott nodded. "When I went to the barn to check on Mom, she wasn't responding, and she says she doesn't remember anything after going to the barn. It was like she had turned off, like someone cut her strings." He frowned. "This guy… he could freeze me in place telekinetically, mess with my parents… he was digging through my mom's memories and mine… there's no telling what he did in there." He tapped the side of his head. "Not to mention the device - but I'm sure the Avengers told you about that. That's part of why I had to stay in recovery for so long."

"They did say as much," Charles agreed. "I'm only sorry it wasn't something we'd found without needing to hear from him Dr. Strange that there was a concern."

"The way Dr. Strange described it, it would have looked like brain damage," Scott said with a frown. "I don't blame anyone for not seeing it. This guy knew what he was doing."

"Then, if you'd like, we can get started," Charles said. "I have to admit, I'm concerned at what he might have done in your mind."

"Me too," Scott admitted. "Dr. Pym said he was already trying to undo what you and I worked on, and to be honest, I don't want to have to do all of that again."

"Then let's take a look at how much damage was done in such a short time."

Scott nodded, sitting back and closing his eyes to let Charles in. He knew that Jean had already looked around a little, simply because she was curious, and he'd agreed to it when he wanted to know how much damage there was too. So the fact that there was a little more red in the edges of his mindscape wasn't exactly a surprise.

"There's a place this way Jean and I found that we didn't have time to try to break into," Scott said. "It's got that same red tinge as the other memories we've been working with…"

"Don't rush into it, Scott," Charles said. "For as skilled as he was, there is every likelihood that he set traps along the way."

Scott stopped at that and then frowned. "Damn."

"Just proceed carefully," Charles said.

"You're right," Scott said, though he was pinching the bridge of his nose. "Of course. Let's just… make sure nothing else is wrong in here."

The two of them walked cautiously through the area as the scenery changed from the woods to a school, and Charles had to smile when he recognized his own hallways taking shape in Scott's mind. Clearly, Scott was starting to think of the school as his home - and a safe spot.

As they walked through the halls, quite a few of the doors were open, but when they reached one that was closed, Scott rapped his knuckles against it.

"Well, what do you think? Spring the trap - if it is one?" Scott asked, tipping his head toward the door.

"I think I'm prepared if you are," Charles replied.

Scott nodded before he turned the knob ... to find Essex, in the form of Dr. Pearson, since that was how Scott has first met him, standing there with a quiet smirk.

Scott narrowed his eyes and fired off an optic blast that knocked Essex backward and into the wall - hard. He crumpled to the floor, then looked up as Scott moved to follow up with another blast and said, simply, "Come along now, Scott. Stop playing games."

And to Charles' great alarm - that was all it took. One moment, Scott was ready to destroy the figment in his mind, and the next, he was exactly as Jean had described Logan: almost serene and completely placid.

For a moment, Charles glared around at all of the details around him before he very gently tried to get Scott to rouse. When there wasn't any response from him right away, though, Charles approached the image of Essex, carefully examining what was so clearly a trigger - and likely a trap.

But without Scott to tell him exactly what he was thinking, it was incredibly hard to do much about it. So Charles did the only thing that made any sense and reached out for Jean to join him. "I don't want to destroy anything that might be holding his consciousness captive," Charles explained.

Jean was only too willing to help, and it was only a few minutes later than she joined Charles in Scott's mindscape. And since she and Scott had been the ones to find the red-lined door, she knew exactly where to go and rushed there, obviously concerned.

"He's like this in your office too," Jean said, looking concerned as she gently tried, as Charles had, to rouse Scott. "I checked."

"Then we need to be cautious," Charles said. "See if you can draw his attention. Once we rouse him, we can try to attack this spectre of Essex. But not before."

Jean nodded, biting her lip as she considered it. "Alright, I have an idea, but don't - don't laugh," she said, already blushing a bit. When Charles simply gave her his usually serene look, she brushed her hair behind her ear and then nodded to herself before she gently pulled Scott into a long kiss - that became a bit more involved when Scott seemed to startle and then run with it.

"Scott," Charles said, then cleared his throat. "That's no daydream." Charles was smirking, and had carefully diverted his gaze to give the two of them a chance to break it up.

Of course, Scott was completely mortified on hearing that Charles was there - and hearing that he'd misjudged the situation, but Jean was blushing hard and grinning to herself. "What-" Scott cleared his throat. "Sorry."

Jean shook her head and immediately darted forward to return the favor in kind with another long, involved kiss. "Thanks. But no apology needed."

Scott smirked at that, still holding her hand, before he finally did manage to drag his gaze to Charles - and then to Essex in the bare room with a single overhead light. "Sorry, what… happened?"

"You attacked Essex, and he spoke to you," Charles said. "And then you simply .. stopped."

"Well, I guess the solution is not to let him talk," Scott said, and Jean nodded her fervent agreement, throwing out a hand to pin Essex to the wall and wrap part of his own coat around his mouth to boot.

Scott gave Jean a crooked grin before he stepped forward and started blasting - until the image of Essex burst like a water balloon and left the room suddenly empty, dark, and looking a bit more like a classroom with the echo of images of desks and chairs instead or Essex.

When Scott leaned tiredly against the wall, the three of them decided it was a good time to leave, and they found themselves back in Charles' office in no time.

"So… is that it?" Scott asked.

"I'm sure it's not," Charles replied. "But it is a healthy start. You should rest, give your mind time to reset. If that is how you and your parents react to Essex … then I'll need to see if they will trust me enough to help them as well."

"I'm sure if they hear about how this went…" Jean said with a frown.

"Yeah, Mom wasn't exactly thrilled that he could just turn her off like that," Scott said.

"I'm sure," Charles agreed. "She would be particularly troubled."

Scott nodded and then got to his feet. "Well… thanks, Professor," he said. "Sorry to show up and drop a huge project in your lap."

"Scott, that's what I'm here for," Charles said. "You're welcome any time, day or night. And please, let your parents know we're pleased that they've finally come out of the boathouse."

Scott smirked at that as he put an arm around Jean's shoulders without even thinking about it. "You and me both."

* * *

After the session with Charles, Scott had taken some time to sit and talk with Jean for a while, privately. They'd normally go on a walk, but he was  _supposed_ to still be staying off his feet as much as possible until Doctor Strange cleared him to go back to training. So, they'd simply gone to her room and just… talked.

Even though they'd just gotten through weeks of recovery and hours of sitting and talking, it was still calming to come back from dealing with Sinister and hang out with Jean. To be honest, when things moved from talking to kissing,  _that_  was when he really did move on from thinking about Sinister to not thinking about much at all outside of Jean.

Eventually, though, he had to take a breath, and in doing so, he headed down the halls to his parents' room that had been set up in their absence, with obvious help from Jan, considering the closet full of new clothes for K with a note promising more to come as K got bigger and positively  _lamenting_ that they'd headed back to Westchester  _just_ when K was starting to get a little bump.

"Hey Caramel Mocha," K called out. "Are you lost? Is it serious?"

Scott smirked and shook his head. "No, but I did want to  _talk_ to you about something serious," he said.

"We're in trouble," Logan muttered quietly, though he looked perfectly relaxed, with K leaning on him.

"Well, yeah," Scott said as he shut the door behind him. "That's sort of the point." He let out a breath and came to sit across from them. "I asked the professor to look into what Essex was up to in my head, and he found…" He paused. "Well, an off switch."

"Did he fix it?" Logan asked.

Scott shook his head. "Sort of," he said. "I had to get help to destroy that part of what he put in my head, but the professor says that's only the start of it." He looked between the two of them. "And if  _I_ had - well, he called them 'trigger words' - but if I had that in my head, I'll bet that's what Essex did to you too."

Both Logan and K didn't look the least bit like they were following Scott's train of thought. "Yeah, likely," Logan replied at last, since Scott seemed to expect an answer.

"So if that's how he was able to switch us all off, don't you think - well, you should come with me. Jean and the professor both had to step in when I switched 'off', and it was surreal. But we  _need_ to make sure Essex can't just walk in here, shut us all down, and walk off with us again," Scott said, a bit more urgently.

"I know you're attached to the guy," K said, "but I don't trust him enough to  _help_ him traipse around in my head."

"Then ask him to bring Jean," Scott said. "You trust her, don't you?"

"I don't know, Scott," K said, shaking her head lightly. "It's a lot bigger deal to me than you're seeing."

"All I'm seeing is what Essex can do to you if you have that switch in your head," Scott said, both eyebrows raised. "Dad can tell you - he saw me shut down. And I saw you. We can't fight  _back_ like that!"

"I'm game if you wanna watch and make sure it's on the up and up," Logan said. "But there likely won't be just one in there." He gave Scott a serious look. "I  _know_ I have triggers. Don't know what they are, but I know they're in there."

Scott frowned at that, though from what he'd seen in Logan's files, he knew that much had to be true. "Then maybe he can help with those too," Scott said. "At the very least, this guy is a clear and present danger. To all three of us. And anyone that might get in his way or catch his interest."

Logan shook his head. "All I'm sayin' is that even if Chuck can shut a few down - there's no  _guarantee_ it's the ones he's lookin' for."

"It's worth a shot, though," Scott said. "We know he's not going to stay in Avengers custody." He shook his head. "I'm not wrong on this, and you know it."

"No one's arguing that," K said.

"But you're not taking it seriously," Scott said.

"I'm taking it seriously," she said. "I just don't have the faith you do in your new friend, okay?"

"Jean helped me blast Essex into pieces in my mind," Scott said. "I think she can help too. She's getting more powerful all the time, and she broke me and Dad out of it before Essex wanted us awake, so…"

"I'll observe what happens with Logan," K said, holding his gaze steady. "But I'm not consenting to  _anything_ yet."

"Mom," Scott said without dropping her gaze either, though it wasn't as obvious with the glasses on, "let me help you, okay?"

"Give her a chance to see it's alright," Logan said. "Not like they can handle both of us at once anyhow." He gave Scott a grim sort of smile that showed his weariness. "Set it up."

Scott nodded. "Thanks," he said. "I know you don't like telepaths, but seriously - this… this is an exception."

"You're not convincing me with a guilt trip," K said.

"I haven't played that card yet," Scott said, giving her a significant look. "If I wanted to do that, I could, but I love you both too much to do that."

Logan tossed a flannel shirt at him. "Set it up."

Scott smirked as he caught the shirt. "I'll just tell Jean. I'm headed her way anyway."

"Of course you are. Do you need anything else on your way out the door?" K asked.

"Do I need parental consent to see my girlfriend?" Scott asked with a teasing smile.

"Depends on what you're doing - and either way … no," K replied.

" _Her_  consent, though …" Logan had to tease.

"Hey,  _she_ invited  _me_ ," Scott laughed.

Logan gave him a raised eyebrow look at that. "Then I'll see you in the morning."

Scott smirked and shook his head before he slipped out the door - and back to Jean's room, since they'd been spending the last few weeks curled up in the same bed anyway and they were getting used to it at this point.


	21. All Kinds Of Doctors

The session with Charles wasn't really what either feral expected. K took a seat at the far side of the couch to give Charles and Jean plenty of room to work with Logan, who honestly looked on edge as Charles leaned in to get started. He didn't flinch when Charles reached out to touch his temples, but he did clench his jaw a little tighter - his eyes closed and almost every muscle in his body tense.

It wasn't anywhere close to ideal conditions to slip into his mind, but that's what they had to work with. Instead of an easy slip in as Charles and Jean had done so many times with Scott, entering Logan's mindscape was almost … painful, and once they were inside, it was foreign and hostile. The two of them had to work just to cross what had initially looked like a short spanse - and then had to fight to even begin  _looking_ into anything. It wasn't the first time there for Charles, but for Jean … it was quite the place to have a learning curve moment.

They kept digging until Jean physically couldn't continue … though before they were done, they managed to at least identify something that clearly looked like a trigger - or a trap.

It was honestly exhausting, but they  _were_ making progress, even though Jean was picking her hair up off her neck and pulling it into a bun just to get the sticky sensation away from her skin once the session had ended.

"You okay?" Logan asked when he realized that they were done - without any real progress.

Jean nodded. "It's hard work, but at least we found something," she said, giving him a quick smile that she hoped was reassuring and not weary.

"That much empty space, eh?" Logan teased.

"Quite the opposite," Jean said as she finished tying off her hair. "I'm still learning how to hold back and not wear myself out too fast, sorry. I can't seem to  _not_ throw everything in."

"If it makes you feel better, I can take it if you slip," Logan said.

"I won't," she promised quickly. "The professor's been working with me."

"Wouldn't hold it against you unless you screw with the memories I got of K and Scott," Logan said. "Plenty in there that's been trashed who knows how many times over."

"I noticed," Jean said, wincing slightly. "It's… well. I think I get it. It was hard to get in there when you were turned off, but the 'off' command was bright and flashing and the only thing in your head. Of course it would be harder when you're  _not_ a neon sign."

"Hard head," Logan said as he stood up - looking no worse for wear at all. "Not surprised."

Jean smiled and wiped her forehead and neck. "I think it kept you alive, if I'm honest," she said. "Scott's mindscape was trashed after the department and I thought  _that_ was bad. Seeing what they did to you?" She shook her head. "You'd  _have_ to be stubborn just to survive."

"Not sure that's much of a complement," Logan said. "Next time, I guess start up earlier in the day - when you got all your energy."

"No, I like just going and curling u-" She paused. "Well, it's fine. Really."

"Uh huh," Logan replied shaking his head as he turned to Charles. "How bad was it? Really."

Charles let out a long breath. "She's not wrong," he said. "There is a lot of damage, which makes determining the most recent changes difficult."

"Which, I have to tell you," K said as she watched the two telepaths. "When they did this to start with - it wasn't just one or two telepaths working together."

"That makes sense," Charles said with a nod. "And would account for the damage."

"It's still doable," Jean insisted quickly.

"Of course," Charles said. "It's just a matter of patience and persistence, I'm afraid."

"Right," K said dryly. "Well, I think we're done today if your energy level is anything to go by."

"Yes, for today," Charles said. "We'll pick this up again at the same place next time."

"Let me know when, Charlie," Logan replied, though he didn't look any more convinced than K as they headed out arm in arm.

The two of little ferals had plans that didn't revolve around the X-Men, after all, and they weren't exactly thrilled about how the day had gone so far. But it was just a short little drive to the Avengers' to get a once over for K and the little one. Unfortunately, even a short drive with the two of them in the open like that had Scott more than ready to play chauffeur.

"What gives, Slim?" Logan asked when they found him leaning against their truck.

"What, I don't get to be part of this?" Scott asked, one eyebrow raised over his glasses.

"I figured you'd be wrapped up in your girl," Logan said, though he didn't argue it one bit - instead holding the door for K to climb in. "Seein' as she was gonna be lookin' to  _curl up._ "

"I will when we get back," Scott said with a quiet smirk.

"Oh sure," K said before she gave him a kiss on the cheek - as soon as he was behind the wheel. "It's okay. You're a cute driver."

"Yeah I am," Scott said without missing a beat.

"The confidence is such a good look," K said as Scott started the truck up and Logan settled in with K. "Drive on, Jeeves."

Scott was smirking all the way up to the city, and he didn't bother to hide that he was smiling when they did get to the actual appointment. "I heard from Hank that this far along, I should know if it's a brother or sister," he explained when Logan gave him a dry look at his wide grin.

"Worth a shot anyhow," K said. "I doubt they're as reliable as you think."

"I know, but I think the universe owes us a nice surprise, don't you?"

"Doesn't work that way," Logan said. "Or we'd have been paid off years ago."

"I like to play with optimism," Scott said.

"Just before you get hit by a truck," K muttered.

Scott shook his head. "No, no," he said. "I even got a solid five minutes without the glasses this morning at practice. It's a good day."

"Alright,  _that's_ worth celebratin'," Logan said.

"Exactly," Scott said.

The rest of the ride in was relatively quiet … and when they got to the Mansion, Jan was of course, the one to greet them, even rushing by Jarvis, excited to see how things were coming along.

"You look amazing!" Jan gushed, throwing her arms around K in a hug.

"Hi Jan," K said, wrapping Jan up as warmly as she knew how. "Have we missed anything since we've been gone?"

"Um. Yes." She beamed and bounced in place. "A  _big_ something."

K frowned and looked over at Logan, who minutely shrugged. She stepped back and gave Jan a once over - but Logan got there first.

"Congratulations," he said. "What'd it finally take? Small bomb?"

"Well, um…" Jan grinned and waved with her left hand - showing off the new ring. "He's kind of…  _hot_ when he gets hot and bothered. And I… told him so. In… less words. And…" She beamed. "Ta da!"

Logan pulled her over to wrap her up in a bear hug. "About time."

Jan beamed and hugged him tightly right back. "Who'd have thought the thing that got Hank to pay attention to the team was your family's evil vampire? I've never seen him so…" She smiled. "Anyway, yeah. Surprise!"

"And all we have going on is a little once over," K said, resting her hand on her stomach. "Who's our illustrious doctor today, anyhow?"

"Oh, you'll love her," Jan gushed. "She's Pepper's doctor - been helping her for years."

"Sounds .. fun," K said, still frowning lightly.

"Anyone Pepper trusts? Very very good," Jan said. "She  _hates_ doctors and needles and all of that kind of thing."

"She can't possibly hate doctors as much as I do," K said. "But … I don't have a say in it, so ... "

"Well, do you want female company?"Jan offered. "Because I can come with - or get Pepper if you want…"

"Like you're not dying to go yourself," K chuckled. "Might not be a bad idea, though. All these guys …"

"Then it's settled!" Jan beamed, grabbing K's arm and kissing her cheek. "Yay!" With that, she practically skipped off holding on to K, with Scott and Logan smirking hard the whole way as they walked behind the two women.

K looked over her shoulder at Logan, who smirked crookedly at her, but neither said a word as they went over to meet the doc. The first part of the check up was pretty tame- and K simply went along with it almost mechanically as the doctor did the usual things … blood pressure and running down a checklist before she had K lay back to see if the little one was on track, growth wise. It wasn't until after the blood was drawn and the doc had gone over everything that she started to get things prepared for the ultrasound.

"It's still not perfect technology," the doctor said. "But … naturally, with the men you have here working on things, some things have been improved already. I swear, you can't leave a machine around and not have it tinkered with."

K didn't say anything at all, though Logan took a hold of her hand and Jan was nearly bouncing in her seat. It didn't take hardly any time for the doc to explain what was going on and very quickly find the heartbeat on the little one - whooshing away quick and steady. "You're far enough along we  _should_ be able to make a guess at the sex, though I have to admit - it's not something to buy a wardrobe on." She started explaining the structures as they came up - basic things that made perfect sense once they were pointed out - the little one's heart, for starters, and the profile and tiny hands and feet …

The doctor took a moment to concentrate, her head tipped to the side as she explained how tricky it was to make a guess on the sex. "If it looks like a boy … it might not actually  _be_ a boy," she said. "The cord can get in the way and  _lie_ for them. But … if it's a girl ... " She tipped her head, trying to get the baby to cooperate with her images until she hit a button and managed to grab a blurry shot that really didn't seem to show much. "Girls are hard to deny," the doc said, smiling as she gestured to the screen.

For a moment, both K and Logan simply stared at the screen, not sure how exactly to process whatever it was they were looking at. "So, is that supposed to mean we've got a little girl?" K asked finally.

"Nothing is 100% sure until she's born, but it certainly looks like it to me," the doctor said with a smirk.

Logan and K were quiet for a moment longer before it was Scott who said, with a slowly growing smile, "That's perfect."

"Kind of is," Logan agreed softly, though it was clear the two of them were still in a little shock - K clearly moreso than Logan.

Scott grinned a little wider and then leaned over to kiss K's cheek. "Little sister," he said with a grin. "Never had one of those before. Told you this was a good day, Mom."

"No one likes a know it all, Caramel Mocha," K said, though she pulled him over to give him a little hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Scott simply grinned at that. "I can't wait to meet her," he said. "And you know Alex - he's actually got experience with sisters…"

"And if this is totally wrong, and we end up with a boy?" K said.

"Then I'll be even  _better_ at this, since I know what I'm doing with little brothers," Scott teased.

"Like anyone would accuse you of not being a great big brother either way," she said.

"Not to my face, anyway," Scott said. "Except when I steal the last of the peanut butter and chocolate chips."

"Well that's not being a bad big brother," Logan said. "That's being a good opportunist."

"That's what I said," Scott said with a smirk. "For some reason, Alex disagrees."

"Surfer boy mentality," K said.

Scott chuckled at that. "All that sun bleached his brain."

"Thanks, doc," Logan said as K and Scott got to picking at Alex, who was not anywhere near by to defend himself. "Let us know when to come back

When they were all through with not only the appointment, but the experience of Jan - excited and honestly waiting to feel the baby kick … the group of them headed out, with Scott already predicting that Alex was going to be over the moon about the news - not to mention  _Jean_ …

Logan and K curled up into each other in the truck once they were loaded up - and it was probably the first time since the Essex incident that the two of them looked anywhere near contented. The little one was healthy and coming along well … Logan and Scott was happy to have a little girl to spoil, and having  _seen_ her little profile and hearing all was well seemed to have K relaxing ever so slightly… it was a good place to be, head-wise.

Jean definitely picked up on the good mood when they got back and Scott made it a point to pick her up and spin her around. He wasn't exactly subtle.

"Um … welcome home," Jean said with a little giggle.

Scott grinned a little wider at that. "Hey, Jean," he said then pulled her into a kiss.

"So … did you guys break the Avengers?"

"Probably," he said, spinning her around again. "I know that you know what I know. I can't be quiet about it even if I wanted to."

"I am actively trying not to listen," Jean laughed. "Self control or something."

"What's that?" Scott teased and pulled her into another kiss.

"I've been told repeatedly that I don't even know," she laughed, kissing him back. "You really love being a big brother, don't you?"

"Yeah," he said and kissed her again. "I love having my family around me. And I didn't get to be a big brother after Alex was, like,  _six_ , so this? It's almost like a second chance."

"And you  _know_ you're excellent at the tiny kid stuff," Jean said.

"Oh, yeah, this is the part I get," Scott said. "When she's a teenager? I don't know. Glare at guys? I guess?"

"I'm sure you glaring at guys will be super duper effective," Jean teased.

"Especially if I take the glasses off," he pointed out.

"That's what I meant, Mr. Summers. You can glare 'em into the next state."

"My poor sister. Not even born and I already know I'll ruin her dating life," he laughed.

"She'll love it," Jean said.

"Your sister tries to do it too," Scott pointed out. "Last time your family picked you up for a weekend…"

"Oh, my sister can be a brat," she said, shaking her head.

"Pretty sure that's the whole point of siblings," he said.

"And here you are - excited for more," she laughed before she took his head in her hands and kissed him solidly. "Are they telling anyone what they're having or have you just decided that's how it is?"

"I'll let them tell everyone else, but I wanted to tell you," Scott said with a smile. "I figured you'd be excited with me."

"I"m so glad you did," Jean said. "And I am very excited for you. Especially since when Kurt asks your dad, all he gets is 'we're having a baby'."

"Yeah, and Dad  _likes_ Kurt," Scott laughed.

"He's very funny, really," Jean promised. "But … how is your mom handling it?"

"Very quietly," Scott admitted. "I know it's rough, especially considering  _how_ it happened," he added, losing some of his smile as he let out a slow breath.

"She's tough though," Jean said.

"She is. And for stuff like this? She's happy. I just know it's not easy for her. She wanted more time." He kissed Jean's cheek. "You've seen their minds. You know they've been dragged through the mud. And to be honest, anyone comes near Mom and I think Dad's going to commit mass murder."

"You're not even close to wrong," Jean agreed. "Did you know he's constantly assessing who to take out in what order? No matter where he is."

"That makes sense. I bet she's doing the same thing. The first time I met her, she had a backup plan for how to escape the coffee shop where we worked."

"Yeah, but they both think that way," Jean said. "It's not … I mean. Maybe it's a learned thing, but the escape or flee impulse is constantly warring with the 'fight'."

"Well, we've got her back," Scott said. "I… may have already talked to Kurt about keeping an eye on her around Dad's birthday. Emergency exit…."

"Of course you have," Jean said, putting her arm around his back and slipping under his arm. "And I'm sure Kurt was more than willing to volunteer."

"Oh yeah. He's almost as excited as I am, actually," Scott said. "But only almost."

"Which is why it's working so well to frustrate him when your Dad tells him 'a baby' instead of what the sex is that you're all expecting."

"He'll have to get used to it. The more dramatic his reaction is, the more they'll keep doing it just to bug him," Scott said with a smirk.

"They're troublemakers," Jean laughed. "But … I think it's time that you and I had a little, tiny, well earned date."

"Oh, just a tiny one?" he teased.

"Well, you're still  _healing_ ," she replied. "And I am just a bit tired from earlier."

"I'm fine, Jean. I can spin you again if you need proof…"

"Yeah, but if something happens, your mother will eat me alive," Jean laughed.

"She would," Scott had to agree. "Alright. What if we just go out to eat and come back and read in bed?"

"That sounds good," she said, then popped up to steal a little kiss. "You pick, since you're in such a great mood."

"Let's get seafood," he suggested. "Since Mom has banned me and Dad from eating anything in front of her that she can't have."

"So sweet that you think she's going to listen to the ban the whole time," Jean laughed.

"Sometimes I think she just listens to it for the look on Dad's face when she hides his beer. In front of his face."

"Oh, I'm absolutely sure of it," Jean laughed. "She loves to pick at him."

"Me? I'd rather spoil the girl I'm interested in," Scott said, offering Jean his arm. "Come on. I've been a driver all day. Won't hurt my  _healing_ to drive some more, right?"

"Oh, I can drive," she said. "If you want to rest up. Save your energy for later…"

Scott smirked at that. "If you insist…"


	22. Influences

Logan had gotten up at his usual time, made the coffee and taken his run - all in time to come back to the coffee finished up brewing - yet no one else was awake. K had been having trouble sleeping the further she got into the pregnancy, so Logan was giving her space once she did fall asleep, which meant he had nothing to do to work out his nerves but run, really.

He was pretty well cooled down by the time he poured himself a mug of coffee and took a seat with the morning paper, quietly leaning back and taking a moment to  _breathe_  … when who walked into the kitchen… rumpled and messy, hair pointing up in eight different opposing directions and looking as if he was floating on a cloud.

Logan let his paper slip as Scott poured himself a mug, but he didn't say a word, instead wearing the most smug expression that was humanly possible.

"Shut up," Scott said as he sat down, though he did take a moment, red-faced, to  _try_ to get his hair flatter.

"I didn't say anything," Logan said, still watching him with that same smug, yet pleased expression.

"You… are definitely saying it without saying it. So just… shut up," Scott said, though he couldn't stop grinning, so it didn't quite make the impact he'd been hoping for.

Logan was smirking more crookedly at that and raised one eyebrow for a moment before he picked up his mug and went back to the paper. All was quiet for a long moment, and Scott sat there trying to get his face under control, though that went totally out the window when Jean walked in and Logan didn't even try to hide that same smug expression. And instead, after a few minutes of both teenagers trying and failing to act casual, the silence in the kitchen was broken by a low "About damned time."

Scott's head came up fast at that. " _Dad_."

"What?" Logan asked - getting his poker face in check  _fast._

"Just… don't say anything," Scott said, red-faced, though Jean was similarly pink, even if she came to sit with Scott and kissed his cheek.

"Scotty - your face is sayin' all of it," Logan pointed out before he gave him another raised eyebrow look over the top of his newspaper.

"Good things, I hope," Jean said, which turned the very tips of Scott's ears bright red.

"Yeah. Definitely," Scott said, which got an even more smug look from Logan - and a kiss from Jean.

"Hey Scotty," Logan said, smirking behind his paper. "Don't suppose you'd want to bring your mom her coffee, would you?"

Scott blinked at Logan for a moment, knowing that it was a trap - because K would catch on if he did, but he couldn't  _not_ bring his pregnant mom her morning coffee… "Yeah," he said at last. "Sure."

"Great," Logan said, putting the paper down and getting to his feet. "I'll start up breakfast then."

Scott nodded at that and then slipped out of the kitchen and up the stairs, knowing his mom was going to give him such a look… "Hey, Mom," he said, knocking on the doorframe before he brought the coffee in. "Dad's working on breakfast."

"What are  _you_ working on?" K asked, brushing her hair back out of her face.

"Waking up," Scott said.

"I see that," she said, smirking up at him. "And did you bring your sweetheart some kind of offering after last night?"

"We went to breakfast together?" Scott said. "Is that a-" He caught himself. "Ah."

"Oh. I'm so happy for you, sweet Caramel Mocha," K said with a little smile. "All grown up."

Scott rubbed the back of his neck. "I… am not sure what to do with that, if I'm honest," he said, though he was grinning. "I was expecting… Dad's just been giving me smug looks…"

"Because he knew it was coming," K said. "And he was just  _waiting_."

"I didn't want to - well, I was raised…"

K leaned forward, sure to let one hand rest on her stomach to see if he'd catch it. "Are you catholic? Are you going to hell now?" She smirked. "Or are you counting down the ways to ask that girl to marry you?"

"Okay, first of all, you're not subtle," Scott said, shaking his head.

"I never said I was subtle," K said, smirking at him.

"Yes. Well. Mom did bring us to church every Sunday, for the record, but  _Alex_ is the Catholic in the family," she said.

"Oh, you better not let your little brother know you got lucky then."

"I don't think he wants to know, Mom."

"Then you should make sure no one else gets to him before you do," she sang out. "I'm sure if Jean's half as awkward as you, the team will know before she gets to hit your dad's pancakes."

"I'm… she's… she's got a better poker face since the Starjammer thing," Scott said, a bit lamely.

"Even with your dad in the room being smug?" K asked, tipping her head to the side. "Twenty bucks says she's bright red."

"I… can't take that bet on the grounds that I'd lose."

"Then how about you toss me your Dad's flannel and walk me downstairs?" K suggested. "I can convince him stop. Probably."

"I would very much appreciate it," Scott said as he grabbed the flannel shirt to toss to K. "Because Kurt will probably figure it out too and then the whole house will know."

"Oh, I'm sure he will," K agreed as she pulled the flannel on over her shoulders then took Scott's arm - and as predicted, when they got downstairs, though the kitchen was perfectly silent, Jean was bright red and Logan still looked smug.

K let go of Scott's arm and slipped over to Logan to grab a hold of his chin and pull him into a fairly involved, if not quite appropriate for company, kiss. As soon as it broke, she rested her forehead against his. "Be. nice."

"I am," he replied quietly, though the only real difference was that he wasn't being smug at the kids. Everything else was the same, only accentuated by him stealing kisses from his wife as the team gathered up slowly.

Scott shook his head at the two of them.  _I'm… sorry about them,_ he projected to Jean.

 _They're so happy for you … for us,_  Jean replied.  _And so_ sweet  _together._

Scott couldn't help but smile as he reached over and squeezed her hand under the table.  _Well, they must see how much I care about you._

 _They have always known how smitten we_ both  _are,_  Jean replied before she turned toward him and kissed his cheek.

 _Yeah, Mom's been teasing me since the start,_ he admitted.  _I guess that's what happens when it's so right it's obvious._

 _Isn't that what you thought about them when they started up?_ Jean asked.  _Or .. before they started up?_

Scott flushed a little but nodded.  _I knew they'd work. They just…_ work _. That's just how it is._ He paused and stole a kiss.  _So, yeah. It's definitely similar._

 _Nothing wrong with being right,_ Jean said - and it was clear in her mental voice how amused she was.

 _You're loving this, aren't you?_ Scott accused her.

 _I kind of am,_ Jean admitted.  _They're actually not being horrible about it - and I think they really are happy for us. It's kind of … nice._

_Yeah, especially because you know the rest of the team will be a lot more obnoxious about it._

_I really don't care what the rest of the team thinks,_  Jean promised.  _But if you need fuel, Kurt is pining for Ororo pretty badly_.

 _Really? I thought he was just harmlessly flirting,_ Scott said, turning toward her with both eyebrows raised to show his surprise.

_He would love nothing more than to start up with her._

_And Storm?_

_Is considering the ramifications of dating within the team._

_It works for us,_ Scott pointed out.

_It does._

_Well, I hope it works for them,_ Scott said.  _I know they're close, and - well, what's the point of falling in love if you're not friends too?_

 _No point at all,_ Jean replied, positively beaming up at him.

 _You two might want to tone it down or take it behind closed doors,_ K projected to Jean, startling the little redhead since it wasn't often K reached out, and considering how wrapped up she was still with Logan … well. It wasn't expected.  _Makes no difference to me either way but your teammates are trickling in ..._

 _We flirt telepathically all the time,_ Jean projected, though even her mental voice was defensive.

 _Do you_ glow  _all the time?_ K asked.

Jean's head popped up and she looked over to Scott's parents … who definitely didn't look distracted by anything but each other. "Let's take our breakfast outside," Jean said with a significant look Scott's way, and he simply nodded before the two of them headed out - leaving K and Logan sharing looks of their own.

As soon as Scott and Jean left, the rest of the team indeed began trickling in … at a little quicker rate than K had expected, and though Kurt had once again tried to find out if the little one K and Logan were expecting was a boy or girl … and was once again shot down, it was Piotr that came over to sit next to K in what had become his own morning ritual.

He sat down, then started to speak in Russian - which got a smirk out of Logan and a moment of rolled eyes out of K - then he'd gently rest his hand on K's stomach - after she'd given him permission, of course. The first time, he hadn't asked - and she'd nearly broken his wrist, so at least his learning curve was good.

Illyana was starting to make an excuse for her idiot brother when Piotr almost startled, narrowed his eyes and then grinned up at K - completely having lost his train of thought. "Are you going to be okay, big guy?" K had to ask.

"Yes, of course," Piotr said, smiling wider. "It must be a boy. He is active."

"Yes, because little girls are so lazy," Illyana said before she swatted her brother in the back of the head.

"That is not what I said!" Piotr protested.

"That's what I heard," Illyana replied, hands on her hips.

"I said it is a boy because he is active." Piotr shook his head. "Or do you no longer think boys are trouble? Should I worry?"

"I think you're ridiculous to think that girls aren't active too," she said.

"Then we will see who is right," Piotr said.

"Well, it's gotta be one of you," K said, leaning back. "Let the betting pool begin."

"Sign me up for 'girl'," Ilyanna said.

"Yes, it would be nice to have more of us," Storm said with a smile.

"Hey, for the record?" K said, gesturing to herself. "This is the wrong way to recruit."

"Nonsense," Storm said, her eyes twinkling. "This is the  _best_ way to recruit. Certainly preferable to my being surrounded by warlords or Kurt being chased by angry villagers or Bobby nearly being lynched…"

"But … I got pregnant by a creepy scientist screwing with my body," K said. " _Bad_  way to recruit."

"Must be a curse with this team," Alex said. "We've all got bad stories. I mean, mine was 'hey, go rescue your long-dead big brother who might be dead again' so it's not like the kid won't fit in, right?" He gestured broadly. "Welcome to the X-Men, little bro. Hope you survive."

"You're a ridiculous little Summers," K said, again going back to her coffee.

"Yeah, well, you say that because I'm right, you know."

"I say that because you're a ridiculous little Summers," she countered.

"Just accept that she's right, Alex," Kurt said with a smile. "It will be better for everyone."

"He's just mad we won't tell him," Logan said, smirking at Kurt.

"Ah, well, that  _does_ make me feel a bit better. Even  _family_ doesn't know…"

"Some family knows," K said.

"And that family's girlfriend," Logan added, clearly just to rile him.

"Cheat," Kurt said, looking affronted.

"How does that make me a cheat?" Logan asked, arms wide.

"No, I was referring to a certain telepath who cannot keep away from secrets!" Kurt scoffed. "I should not be surprised if Charles knows."

"No, no," Logan said. "Scotty told her. No cheatin' involved."

Kurt let out a little harumph and crossed his arms, shaking his head slowly. "Really,  _mein Freund._ I just want to know so I can look ahead to spoiling the little one."

"He's not telling you  _only_ to torture you," K said, laughing. "He's not telling you because they can't be 100% SURE even with the tests."

"There are some old wives' tales," Hank said with a twinkle in his eye. "I have a friend in my class who swears she can divine the order of your future children with a pencil and string."

"Seriously?" Logan said. "You're payin' all that money to learn medicine and it boils down to a pencil and a string?" he had a look of pure disbelief on his face.

"I didn't say I believed it, mind you," Hank said, blushing slightly around his ears. "But I know the tests they have aren't as accurate." He gestured with one hand. "Perhaps a pencil and string is just as likely to divine the truth - until such time as we have improved the technology at hand."

"So's a coin flip," Logan said in a flat tone.

"Do you have your heart set on one result or another?" Piotr asked, genuinely curious.

"Nope," Logan said, shaking his head lightly as K agreed with a shrug.

"Well then, you will be happy no matter what, so the rest is just fun,  _da_?"

"That's the idea," K agreed. "As long as it all goes well, that is."

"Of course it will," Storm said. "And  _she_ will be born into a family that loves her - and you will have no shortage of volunteers to watch her," she added with a smile.

"See that?" K said in a stage whisper to Logan. "She only wants to babysit if it's a girl."

"That leaves the duty wide open if it's a boy, in which case, I will volunteer," Kurt said, grinning widely Storm's way. "To the winner the spoils."

"And he only wants in if it's a boy," Logan stage whispered right back to K.

Alex leaned across the table and cupped his hands around his mouth. "And it doesn't even matter, because my big brother is a hog and won't share anyway."

"Entirely true," Bobby agreed.

"Well, I guess it's settled," Hank chuckled.

"At least until our two  _missing members_ get in trouble of their own," Warren said over his coffee.

"You don't have to be like that," K said. "You could go find yourself a girlfriend, too."

Warren shrugged. "I wasn't 'being like' anything. I'm just pointing out a conspicuous absence and saying what everyone's thinking."

"They were already through," Logan said. "Sent 'em off to feed the animals."

"Is  _that_ what they called it when you were growing up," Warren said with a smirk.

But at that, K let out a growl that had Warren's feathers standing on end. "What was that?"

Bobby burst out laughing at the look on Warren's face. "That is so much more fun from this side!"

"Shut up, Bobby," Warren grumbled.

"Find a new hobby," K said. "That joke really isn't too funny anymore."

Warren quickly held up his hands. "Got it. Message received."

"I'd feel differently if it wasn't … baby via manipulation," K said.

"Perfectly understandable," Storm said.

Logan smirked as he leaned in to kiss K behind the ear, using the fact that her hair was covering his mouth to hide his commentary. "Vicious."

"You love it," K whispered back before the two of them shared a look and fell right back into their old habits of flirting and kissing … before their morning trip to Charles.

* * *

It was not … exactly a typical morning at the Institute a few days later, though the two ferals had managed to finally settle in a bit more at the big house. The ambient sounds in the old building were a little distracting, but not nearly so much as the fact that they both were waking up when any one of the kids on the team awoke and started in their morning routines. It wasn't that the walls were thin - just … they were used to much  _less_ sounds, so even a minute footstep was enough to have them both stirring.

Which meant that they were more likely to simply stay in bed for longer on most weekends. But more so anyhow today, since it was Logan's birthday - and neither of them wanted to move. At all.

And while that was all fine and good for those within Xavier's walls - there was someone outside skulking about that was less than happy with that prospect. He just needed a way to draw them out … but it wasn't like the place they were in was overly simple to deal with.

There were, by Creed's measure, several different motion sensor systems of various manufacture, a few cameras …. And of course the big-headed telepath. That was something he couldn't quite work his way around - even if he had managed to get all the way into the boathouse so far without anyone stopping him.

But he needed that last little bit. He closed the door behind him and started looking around the place. It had clearly been too long since the last time he had visited the runt if he'd gotten  _this cozy_ with the girl …

And then, right after Creed stepped into what was so obviously a recently vacated bedroom, he positively stopped. He blinked a few times, trying to be sure that he really was smelling what he thought he was … but there was nothing he could think of that would come close to  _that_ scent in particular. He didn't know if he was pissed off or delighted- it could go either way considering that taking her head off  _now_ would be like Christmas had come early. His claws were just  _itching_ now. He  _had_ to get to her.

He thought about it for a moment, looking over the clothes and boots that hadn't been packed up and taken to the house yet … and then smirked before he left the boathouse for the horse barn. Even if he couldn't get her to come out - he'd be able to get the  _others_ to come out so he could slip in.

When he got to the barn, the horses were all munching on hay, happily chewing - and by the smell of it - he'd only just missed the bratty kid that Logan had picked up. But that had him sneering to himself a little harder as he lit up a cigar and walked down the aisle to lock the far doors … and then went upstairs to light the hay loft on fire.

It didn't take long at all before the so-called team responded - with an apparently advanced scout appearing in a poof of smoke to look around, wide-eyed at the situation and then disappear again.

Another poof later, and the furry blue mutant returned with two others - the ice prick and a girl with white hair and a cape already dramatically flying out behind her as a stormcloud appeared over the barn.

Between the weather witch and the icicle, the fire was taken care of, and the disappearing blue demon grabbed the angel and the huge Russian to help him calm the horses in the meantime.

"Not bad," Creed said with a crooked smirk as he watched them from a distance - and very nearly strode right into the house as the young team tried to handle the mess Creed had made. It shouldn't be too hard for him at this point anyhow. The kiddies were busy …

* * *

Of course, what Creed couldn't have known was that he wasn't the only uninvited guest to the mansion.

It had taken Essex a bit of time to slip out of SHIELD's security - not because it was difficult but because he wanted to make sure that his escape went unnoticed so he could resume his work in peace without such ridiculous interruptions. The five different guards on rotation outside of his cell were still perfectly convinced he was in there, and as none of the Avengers had come to see him since Steve Rogers had seen fit to speak to him.

That in itself had been enlightening … how his first little test subject had managed to fall into favor with the  _great_ Captain America. The boy's luck was boundless. He doubted Logan even realized his potential to draw all the most powerful's favor as easily as he did. But that wasn't something Essex planned to point out to him any time soon.

Once he was free of the highest security levels that held means to keep mutants at bay - with power dampeners at nearly every doorway - Essex simply drew in a breath and teleported away from the helicarrier with his captors none the wiser. For now.

He only had to focus on where he wanted to be - and then concentrate to will himself into appearing where he wanted to be, which was how he found himself on the roof of the Xavier Institute, where he knew that Logan had gone to lick his wounds. He was not, however expecting to see a building on fire when he arrived with many many young mutants rushing out to fight the flames.

For a moment, Essex watched, frowning at some of their power sets, but now wasn't the time for that. He could address that later. After he'd finished his continuing research. Right now, his focus was on getting his subjects back. So much time had been lost with K alone … and of course, he was very sure that Scott would need a much more thorough tune up. Logan - well. Logan would tear apart anything in his path to find the two of them. He needn't bother trying to handle all three at once.

But for as many young mutants as there were rushing out to the fire, Scott was not among them. Which was simply serendipitous for Essex. He hated to thrash possible test subjects while he was simply retrieving what was his …  _In due time,_  he thought to himself as he started through the building psychically reaching out to find either of them. K was easy enough to locate for him with the rumbling low level of distress she had always at the back of her mind since she'd found out about the pregnancy, and by Essex's best guess, she was still curled up with Logan, but Scott …

When he did find Scott, he was pleasantly surprised to find the boy had clearly learned  _something_ from his 'adoptive father' and was sharing a bed with a young woman himself. They were both still asleep, curled around each other comfortably with his arm behind her and her head on his chest.

The girl was the first one to wake up, 'sensing' the new presence in the room before she was awake enough to realize what it meant. And then, of course, when she  _did_ see him, she sat up much faster, waking Scott up as well.

To the boy's credit, he had learned from the last encounter and didn't freeze this time, grabbing his glasses from his face and blasting Essex back as a reflex. " _Out_ ," Scott snapped. "Get out."

"Now, Scott, is that any way to greet an old friend?" Essex replied before he smiled widely and shifted into Nathan - Scott's one and only friend from the orphanage. When he spoke again it was with a child's voice. "You left without ever looking back. Don't you think that hurt some of the others?"

Scott froze, almost holding his breath. "That's not- Nathan, I-"

"Did you even think of what the rest of us woke up to after that, Scott?"

"Oh, shut up," Jean snapped, even as Scott looked like someone had thrown water on him.

"Who are you?" Essex asked, still maintaining the child's form before he smirked and then openly attacked Jean with a psychic blow.

When Jean bent over, her hands to her head, Scott seemed to snap out of it, at least a little, grabbing Jean's shoulders and pulling her tight. "Come on, Jean," he said low before he looked up at Nathan. "Leave her alone."

"I don't think so," Essex said, his features twisting into some odd echo of both Essex and Nathan all at once. "You can come with me peacefully or this can get messy."

Scott glared more openly at that. "So you can mess with my mind again? Put another  _implant_  in?" He tipped his chin up. "I know what you did, and it's gone. You can't hold me back anymore."

"Every experiment - even the most invasive - can be replicated," he replied as he grew back into his usual form. "It would be much easier on  _you_ if you simply quit fighting me every blessed step of the way."

"Like you've ever given me a reason not to," Scott shot back angrily. "Holding me back, erasing my memories, tying me down-"

Essex sneered and said, "That's quite enough. Come along now, Scott," but then frowned when Scott simply didn't react to it. "Mister Summers," he said, his eyes narrowed to slits. "This simply will not do." In an instant, Essex invaded Scott's mind - attacking him much as he had - and was - attacking Jean. At least until he'd gotten Scott to behave a bit. Of course, the momentary split in focus gave Jean a little room to fight back.

She fought back hard, pushing against the incursion. It was really the first time she'd had to deal with something this  _invasive_ , since her practice with Charles wasn't nearly so sharp. But she finally did manage to push back, and she was hot and sweaty and worn out as she glared up at Essex.

"Do not fight me, girl," Essex warned with a sneer.

Jean responded by throwing out a hand and pinning him to the wall. "Not happening."

Of course, Essex smiled and a moment later, Scott was on his knees in clear pain, clutching at his head. "How much of an attack do you think he can handle? I have no problem completely wiping his entire personality."

Jean felt the blood drain from her face, and she looked between Scott and Essex before she lowered her hand, her eyes still narrowed as she let him drop to the floor. "Let him go."

"When I'm done," Essex replied. "And not a moment sooner." He didn't even look over his shoulder. "Come along, Scott. You know where we need to go next."

Jean was absolutely livid as she watched Scott get to his feet and nod, already headed for the door. She rushed forward to grab Scott's arm and then glared over her shoulder at Essex when Scott shrugged away from her. "Stop it. Let him go," she insisted.

"I haven't time for arguing right now, Miss Gray. If you want to supervise, I would be very interested to hear what exactly it was you did to assist in removing all of my good work."

"If I want to supervise, it'll be to make sure you don't  _destroy him_ ," Jean shot back, her hands in fists.

"I've put too much into him to simply destroy him," Essex drawled out, sounding bored. "But I do have places to be, so either be quiet and follow my boy or you can fall asleep and forget you saw me."

Jean crossed her arms and let out a huff. "Fine," she said. "But for the record, he's not  _your_ anything _._ He's  _my_ boyfriend."

Essex didn't argue the point - but only because he was already guardedly running through what exactly he needed to do to look further into this girl … and with Scott under heavy psychic suggestion, it was a fairly simple affair as he let Scott lead the way to where Logan and K were.

Still, Jean was seething, and she was already trying to figure out how to stop Essex without hurting Scott. And what's worse, she knew that they had found a few different commands in Logan and K's heads and didn't know which ones to work on. One was down to merely a suggestion they could shrug off if they thought hard enough about it, but...

"Dream a dream of pretty prey, with rage as red as blood," Essex said as he entered the room where both K and Logan were preparing to finally head downstairs. As soon as the words echoed the room, both of them froze, and a moment later, they were simply crumpled on their knees staring blankly.

And when Essex bent to examine them, Jean tried again, this time telekinetically moving Logan and K out of his reach and then throwing Essex back a few steps. She was still worn out from the psychic invasion earlier, but she did have the wherewithal to at least call for the professor to  _please help._

"That is simply a step too far, young lady," Essex said before he turned his focus to Jean and attacked harder than he had the first time. It was a short battle between them - especially since she was already weakened - and her psychic defenses had honestly been getting more and more unsteady in the past few weeks anyhow, though she and Charles didn't know  _why_ she had been having power surges and issues. When she lost, though, it all became very simple for Essex as he straightened his clothes and quietly made his way over to Logan and K. he picked up K as Scott followed an unspoken telepathic command to pick up Jean as well - and as soon as both women were secured, Essex managed to teleport the four of them out without so much as a 'pop'.

* * *

Victor followed the scent trails as they went through clearly used pathways, down halls - through common areas … and finally up a flight of stairs that had Creed smiling more with every step. It was clear that the runt and his little wife were there - the scent was getting stronger anyhow. He paused, and was more than a little surprised to see that by scent alone - the two of them were alone. Which meant he had a solid chance to do some damage one way or another anyhow. All he had to do was to step through the doors - and start the fight. Or take a heavy swipe at K. If he was lucky, it'd be a quick fight - or at least a reasonable one to knock Logan out to draw it out.

But when he did step into the room, his smile fell entirely. The girl was gone. It was only Logan - and it was pretty clear that the runt was entirely checked out by the look on his face. Creed frowned as he cautiously took a few steps closer. "I don't get it, boy, this some kinda trick?" Creed said low in a rumbling rasp as he watched Logan stare ahead blankly. A quick peek around the room confirmed that the girl was gone - but … no time like the present to give the boy a wake up call.

Creed smiled widely before he hit Logan hard enough that the crack echoed the room. Logan was tossed back, and he shook his head after the hit - shaken out of his stupor just as well from physical attack as he was from when Jean had roused him telepathically.

Only …this wasn't Jean. And the fact was that one moment, Logan had been with K - and the next, she was gone and Creed was there. Logan was on his feet in an instant, snarling low before Creed hit him again - a cheap shot from behind before Logan could orient himself on what was going on, but that really wasn't the smartest move Creed could have made and Logan turned in his grip faster than Creed could handle. In an instant, he was in a pure, unrestrained rage and tearing into Creed harder than either man could recall. His hits were fast and vicious, and he was snarling with every word. "Where is she!" he demanded as he tore into Creed.

Sabretooth's arm came up - but he never made it to full draw before Logan cut it off at the elbow and pushed in to attack harder, snarling and snapping - ready to simply tear out Creed's throat if he wouldn't talk. He didn't feel it when Creed sunk his claws into Logan's side - then drew it down, slicing him wide open. But the blood loss was impressively bad on both sides.

Logan was just renewing his attack and Creed was trying to re-assess his attack strategy as Logan dove forward again - this time sinking one hand of claws into Creed's chest - and then stopping Creed's good hand - grabbing him at the wrist when Victor tried to dislodge him.

This was  _not_ the fight that Victor had expected, and Logan simply wasn't backing down enough to allow either of them to take a decent breath between slashing attacks. The blood was slick enough though, that with some serious effort, Creed pulled his hand free from Logan just long enough to hit him  _hard_  - knocking him across the room and partly through a wall. It wasn't much, but with the blood Creed was losing, he knew he couldn't keep fighting and not pay for it more than he was willing to give. He threw a chair after Logan in hopes of keeping him distracted before he snatched up his arm that laid on the ground in a puddle nearby and then smashed through a window on his way out.

It was hard for Logan to get his bearings as he pulled himself out of the wall, though the sound of crashing glass had him even more livid as he shouted Victor's name. "We're not done, Victor! You coward!"

"Logan." Charles was in the doorway, looking stunned by the damage that the two of them had managed to do to each other. And when Logan still looked to be in a rage, panting and growling as he turned toward Charles, Charles reached out telepathically to try and calm him down.  _Logan, stop. Where is the rest of your family?_

It was almost painful as Logan tried harder to get himself under control. It was more than he could process right … the scents mixed up with the thick, hot, coppery smell of blood had him on the verge of a panic attack, and that wasn't overly helpful to Charles either. Logan  _couldn't_ focus. He couldn't see what had happened in the patterns of blood. Was it Victor? It had to be Victor - but then … if it wasn't, would that even be the first time that Creed had manipulated him into killing people he cared about? The fact that he could smell Scott and Jean too had him taking deeper breaths as he searched for some  _proof_ of what the hell had happened there. All of which, Charles heard loud and clear as Logan's mind raced.

"Logan, I need you to calm down," Charles said in a calm, even tone. "We need to focus on finding your family."

"I can't do this," Logan said under his breath, eyes closed tight.

Charles was quiet as he watched Logan. "Yes, you can. I need your help to determine what happened here. The barn was set ablaze, Jean called out to me for help, and when I looked, I found an unwanted visitor here in your room - who you apparently fought and who fled before I arrived. Now. What can you add to this account, Logan? Think."

"I dunno," Logan said, eyes still closed tight for a long moment. "I didn't see Jean. One minute, I was with K - the next she was gone and I was fighting Creed …"

Charles frowned at that. "I had been speaking with Kurt about the fire when Jean reached out. I'm afraid she didn't tell me anything more than to ask for my help. But…" He shook his head as he thought it over. "I would think we would have heard if Creed had taken them. Scott made it clear that he intended to spend this morning prepared for exactly this kind of thing today."

Logan tried to breathe deeper, holding on to the wall with one hand for balance as he tried to focus before he finally shook his head. "I can't smell anythin' but blood."

"Do you think you could retrace Creed's steps outside of this room? Or perhaps if we were to start in Jean's room…"

"I dunno," Logan said. "I gotta … I got a lot of blood in my nose. Everything's jumbled .." He shook his head and headed over to pull out a cigar and lit it up - taking a moment to cycle through several drags and blow it through his nose - along with trying to deal with the mess he was.

It took a few minutes, but when his hands were partly clean - and he'd properly burnt out his nose - he did as Charles asked and started in Jean's room. Where he promptly started swearing under his breath - and then rushed to backtrack the trail. "It isn't a steady path," Logan muttered. "Only goes so far then just … disappears."

"That does not sound like Victor Creed," Charles pointed out.

Logan shook his head impatiently as if he was almost irritated at Charles for not keeping up fast enough. "Creed was never in this room. Essex was."

Charles stopped and then turned to face Logan better. "Then we have two different problems," he said. "And the question of whether Essex took all three or if Creed was also involved in a disappearance or two. I find it highly unlikely the two were working in coordination."

"The only thing Creed left with was his wounded pride," Logan growled out. "And his arm." He looked around the room, once again starting to focus as he had  _something_ to focus on. Of course, it was really only just pushing back the panic attack, but for now, it would have to do.

"I'll begin searching on Cerebro," Charles promised. "And I'm sure we will hear from the Avengers soon if Scott managed to alert them. He is clear of the trigger phrase now, so if he had enough time…" He trailed off, frowning to himself and frustrated at the determination both Essex and Creed were showing to continue to harass those living under this roof.

Logan, though, honestly couldn't just sit there and wait for word, and even before Charles had finished with his sentence, he rushed past him to start looking again - for any sign that he could decipher … starting around the barn to see which one of them - or both - had been the one to set the fire.


	23. So Willful

Jean was having a small panic attack.

The last thing she remembered, she had been fighting back against Essex. And then, when she woke up, she had been tied down, a cotton ball in her arm and a low sort of throbbing in her head - a leftover headache from her telepathic defenses shattering. The moment it had happened, it had sounded like a high-pitched screech that still had her ears ringing.

It was completely different experiencing it from this side. She'd seen Scott's memories of what had happened to him, of course, but actually being the one on the table… She was glad she had apparently been unconscious for a lot of it, at least - judging by the fact that Essex was running tests on various samples already.

When Jean turned her head, she couldn't see Scott, but she did see K, who still looked very out of it and was similarly restrained. But as she watched, one of Essex's mountainous henchmen undid her restraints and started to carry K out - and to Jean's surprise, another huge man did the same for her. And she was still too light headed to really fight back.

The guy holding K stopped at a bedroom upstairs in the opulent house, and Jean squirmed to see what was going on as she passed. The room was relatively sparse, probably so K couldn't use anything in it for a weapon, but the bed looked comfortable, at least.

And then the guy carrying Jean stopped at the other end of the hallway to unlock another bedroom. He tossed her into the room, and she caught herself and spun around - but the door was slammed shut in her face and locked from the outside.

"Jean?"

Jean spun around to see that she wasn't the only one in the room. This one was much less sparse, though the four-poster was similar to the one in K's room - and Scott had been sitting on the edge of it trying to massage away a headache when Jean arrived.

She let out a breath and then crossed the room to sit down beside him. "Okay, so, I'm pretty sure there's some kind of dampener on this floor, but he was using his powers in the lab downstairs, so if we can just get out-"

"Jean, slow down," Scott said, shaking his head. "I'm still trying to figure out how we got here." He rubbed his forehead and let out a frustrated sound. "I think I remember it. I was trying to fight him - and then once we got here, I'm not sure if I was asleep or trapped in my thoughts or-" He shook his head. "Give me a minute. I'm still waking up. I think."

"Okay," Jean said, quietly sitting down nearby so she was facing him. "I just … I saw your Mom …"

"Yeah, he brought her here." Scott shook his head, his eyes wide. "That shutdown was … instant."

"I didn't think that kind of thing was real," she said. "I knew people could slow or go into it easy, but that... was odd."

Scott nodded. "Well, he's been doing it for decades. I guess he's had time to learn that kind of thing," he said before he finally straightened up a bit. "Alright. Yes. Sorry. Are you alright?" he asked, trying to recover and refocus.

"I'm fine, Scott … he was threatening you though."

"Jean, that's not new," Scott pointed out. "I'm okay. I promise."

"Well it's the first time  _I've_ seen it," she defended, blushing high on her cheeks as she crossed her arms. "And I don't like it."

Scott let out a breath and then pulled her closer so he could wrap his arms around her. "He never should have touched you, Jean. I'm sorry you got pulled into this, but I swear I'll make him pay."

"I could have had him," Jean said. "But I wasn't … I haven't been as good with my control …"

"Hey, it's okay," Scott promised quickly, going so far as to kiss the top of her head. "It's okay. It's not your fault your powers are still ebbing and flowing. It's not like I'm in control of mine. I still need the glasses."

"You had surgery a couple months ago, Mr. Summers. There is a difference there. I don't have anything different but I'm still having … stupid issues."

"So?" Scott shook his head. "That doesn't make this your fault. We came to the school to learn how to control our powers. It's kind of implied that we still have learning to do." He shook his head and got to his feet. "Alright. There's got to be a way out of here. Even if our powers are turned off, we've got solid training. We're the X-Men. This isn't the end of the world."

Which was all well and good… up until the moment the door opened.

"You know, Mr. Summers, I had thought for certain that you being stuck with my old feral friend would have been entirely detrimental to your future … yet, you've surprised me as much as he has," Essex said as he let himself into the room with an honestly proud smile.

"I'm not looking for your seal of approval," Scott said cooly, stepping in front of Jean before he'd even thought about it.

"Yes, Logan said as much as well," Essex replied. "But this young woman … is just as suitable - no. Perhaps an even better match than the two ferals. Like it or not, I couldn't have chosen better for you myself, Scott."

"Proof I don't need you," Scott said, though it was obvious he hadn't been expecting that line, and he had one arm thrown out and a hand on Jean's shoulder.

"Need me or not, I'm not going anywhere any time soon, Mr. Summers. And neither are you."

"Leave him alone," Jean broke in. "You said yourself he's doing better without you. Stop trying to screw him up!"

"My darling Miss Grey - I said no such thing. I said I couldn't have chosen better myself - though with your helix in front of me - you are absolutely my first choice."

Jean flushed brightly, though she could feel her temper flaring all the same. "You  _creep_. I'm - no."

"Don't take it as anything but a compliment, Miss Grey. And by all means … don't let me slow your progress." He smirked at both of them before he stepped back out of the door.

For a long moment, the two of them were stunned silent, and when Jean looked toward Scott, she somehow wasn't surprised to see that Scott was a brilliant red as well. Finally, Scott cleared his throat and shook his head.

"I'm not going to let him…" Scott shook his head. "I won't."

"I know, Scott," Jean said quietly, though she was already wrapping her arms around her middle.

"Jean, I liked you  _before_ he showed up again. This doesn't change anything. We just… need to be careful. Ask Stark to look us both over when we get out of here." Scott was clearly panicked and thinking out loud as he started to pace a small path.

"I know, Scott," Jean repeated. "I was just … thinking of your parents, really."

Scott let out a breath. "He won't do that to you," he promised. "And we'll get Mom out of here."

"I was thinking about how he  _could_ get away with it with them though," she said. "What he does … it has to be hard on you, right?"

"Jean, I'm fine," Scott said. "We just need to -" He looked down at himself and swore under his breath, realizing that he'd been in just his pajamas - sweat pants and a loose shirt, with no place for a panic button or anything. "Alright. Well. Dad will know we're missing and he'll scent out Essex…."

"And what about your mom?" Jean asked. "She was screwed up for a long while last time. How do we even check on her?"

"Well, where is she?" Scott asked, sizing up the door. "Hinges are on the other side too…" he muttered under his breath.

"It looked like she was on the other side of the hall," Jean said. "But … I don't know if we can fight back enough while he can attack me psychically."

"Well," Scott paused and then turned her way. "Alright. What about… I could help. We've been in each other's minds. You're the strongest telepath I know, even if you're having a rough spell. Maybe you just need an extra boost."

"Maybe," she agreed. "But that …  _Sinister_  could fight it. Harder than I've fought with the professor. Sharper. Colder …"

"Then fight him back," Scott said. "Every time you've been in my mind, you're warm, like a campfire. Seems like the perfect way to fight the cold."

Jean couldn't help but smirk at him. "You, are a flirt," she said. "But … maybe we can find a way to disrupt his inhibitors?"

"We just need to find them," Scott agreed. "The door's locked and the window's barred, but… I could try to break it down? We're not going to find it in here, I'm sure, or he wouldn't let us walk around freely. We need to get out of here - and get my mom. If we can wake her up, that will help too." He let out a breath and nodded to himself. "We could start with just… I know how to get Mom to pop her claws. We just need to get her out and she can cut through the bars or locks in our way. Forget the powers - just get out." With that, he nodded to himself again and then put his shoulder to the door.

It took a few tries, but when the door started to give, Jean joined him, and they were able to get the wooden door off its hinges.

Scott rolled his shoulder a few times and then looked to Jean. "Which way?"

Jean tipped her head down the hall, and Scott gestured for her to lead the way. They were both overly aware of any sound, so when they heard a door close, they both paused, standing against the wall as they watched Essex leave the room Jean had seen his men leave K in.

The two of them shared a look before they nodded, waiting until Essex was downstairs before they rushed to the door and unlocked - and unbolted - it. K was simply lying on the bed, though she did at least turn her head at the sound of the door.

"Hey, Mom," Scott said gently, still rolling his shoulder. "We're getting out of here."

"That sounds nice," K replied sleepily.

"Great." Scott got to the bed and gently helped her sit up. "We need you to help us cut through the doors."

"Oh, but I'm supposed to go back to sleep," she said, frowning at him lightly.

Scott looked back at Jean and then let out a breath. "We have to do this first, and then you can go to sleep with Dad, alright?"

"Okay," K said, which on its own was odd enough - with no argument or sass at all.

Jean bit her lip. "I'll look into it," she promised Scott before he could say anything. "Once we get home - and the professor can help me."

Scott nodded and then put his hand at K's elbow to help her to her feet - and kept it there as a guide. Jean led the way out of the room, and the three of them crept as noiselessly as they could down the hall and to the stairs.

Once they got downstairs, they knew when the powers came back on, because Jean could hear Scott worrying about his mom, and Scott's eyes were glowing again behind his glasses.

Which was a good thing, because there were giant men guarding all of the exits.

The two young X-Men shared a look before they went into quick action. Jean tossed both of the men aside, and Scott spun to face the others, blasting through several while Jean took over on K, pointing her to the locks on the front door which K easily cut through as soon as Jean directed her to do so.

The two of them were already out the door, and Scott wasn't far behind them, when Essex showed up again and shouted his orders to his men to stop the girls before he focused on Scott. "If this is how you're going to behave, perhaps I should remove your ability to make  _any_ decision without me."

But Scott wasn't having it. He let out a frustrated sound that he couldn't stop before he spun on his heel and simply took his glasses off and let Essex have it, full-bore, leveling the house behind him in the process and leaving Essex somewhere in the middle of the rubble, presumably.

Not that Scott was going to take anything for granted with that guy.

He caught up with Jean and K and simply grabbed his mom's hand. "Let's get moving. We need to find a place with a phone so we can call the professor. Hopefully, we're not too far away."

"We're not," Jean said with a little frown. "We're just … maybe half an hour from my old neighborhood."

Scott raised both eyebrows at that but then nodded. "Alright. Okay. Well, then it shouldn't take the team long to get to us. We just have to wait for them to get here - and beat back any of those guys that show up." He gave Jean a significant look. "The powers are back on. That means if he comes after us again, if he heals fast enough, if he tries to break into our minds again, let's take him together. Alright?"

"You got it," Jean agreed with a grim sort of smile. "In the meantime, I'll try to reach out to the professor to get help."

"And I'll look out for Mom," Scott agreed, still holding onto K's hand as they kept up the pace, looking for a road or something that would take them to other people.

* * *

Logan had been running down about every inch of trail on the property - and was moving to head out to run down the road when Charles reached out to let him know that Scott had managed to get out - with both girls. After that, it was simply a matter of who it was that was going with him.

He ran all the way back to the house, and when Kurt handed him a change of clothes, Logan simply took them along to change in the car on the way - which … once Logan had the mind to think of it, was kind of an odd detail, considering that usually they needed to fly almost everywhere they went. "The hell's going on?" Logan asked as he started to change in the backseat.

"Your evil doctor set up a lair not too far from here," Kurt replied. "Apparently, he wanted easy access to the three of you."

"Four," Logan said, shaking his head. "He took Jeannie too."

"Four, then," Kurt said. "Five including the little one."

"Kind of a single act right now," Logan pointed out.

Kurt simply shrugged at that. "Whatever the case, we got a call from Scott from a diner upstate. All of them are away from that doctor, but they don't have a way to get back home."

Logan blew a breath out at that, though he was anything but relaxed - his foot jiggling as he waited for Kurt to get them there. "Can't you go faster?"

"I wish," Kurt said. As it was, he was going well past the speed limit anyway. But he did at least  _try_ to get Logan's mind off of things. "They told the diner staff that they were in a car accident."

"And they didn't call the cops?" Logan asked, raising an eyebrow at Kurt.

"I… believe Jean may have convinced them not to," Kurt admitted. "But it's the most plausible explanation for why our friends are missing clothing and, well, missing blood. Not to mention K's situation - just like the last time."

"Why didn't we take the jet again?" Logan asked after a few moments had passed.

"Because our friends went to all the trouble of coming up with a cover story that will  _not_ get us unwanted attention, and we are going to do our best to keep to that standard."

Logan growled in response to that and crossed his arms as he looked out the window, unable to do anything other than glower at the world in general. At least all the way until they got to the diner in question. Then it was a whole different ball game - particularly when the first thing he heard on walking through the door was a sweet waitress asking Scott if he was sure they didn't need anything else.

"Scott," Logan called out as he stepped in. "You alright? What happened?" He made a beeline for the three of them, and though he gave Scott's arm a squeeze as he passed him by, he slipped into the seat next to K and took a moment to look her over, frowning when she didn't try to argue with him at all and instead seemed to relax more as he turned her head in his hands.

"We're alright," Scott promised before he glanced up at the waitress and thanked her profusely for letting them stay there. "This is my dad," he explained. "We'll get out of your hair."

"You just take care of your mom, alright?" the waitress said, looking perfectly worried, especially since K was clearly showing.

Scott promised he would - and then helped Logan with K until they got to the waiting car and they were all piled in. "I don't think that's going to work again, but… Essex had us in rooms, not cells. So, we broke down the door. And I leveled his house on the way out. So… hopefully that will at least keep him distracted while he finds a new place to set up."

Logan had K leaning against him - and she was already drifting off as they headed off. "What did he do to the two of you? Do we need to go to see Cap?"

"Dad, I'm  _fine_ ," Scott said, then glanced at Jean. "But…" He bit his lip. "Yeah, a scan would be good. Jean doesn't remember any of what he did to her, and I was out of it for a while, and he was talking about us being a good 'match' so… definitely something to check…."

Logan simply stared at Kurt until he let out a little sigh and diverted them toward the Avengers. "What do you mean, good match?" Logan asked. "Was he .. he wasn't talking about …" Logan shook his head hard. "You shouldn't have to worry about that. You were gone a few hours. That' not enough time to .." He drew in a breath and held it. "We can take you, sure, but I don't think you gotta worry about that side of things."

Scott frowned at Logan for a long moment and then simply nodded. "I want to check. I don't want Jean to… I mean…"

"I don't want Jean to either," Jean cut in quietly, then blushed as she smiled at Scott. "I'm sorry. She's not with it yet, and I feel like the lack of sassiness in this group is a little painful."

Scott couldn't help but let out a breath of a laugh and then lean over to kiss her cheek. "Sorry. I'm just… maybe when we make sure there's no issues we need to worry about, alright?" He gave her a quiet smile. "Ah… you can tease me about your dad and a shotgun if it turns out I'm worried for nothing?"

Logan smirked at the way the two teenagers were dancing around it, then leaned over to kiss K on the top of the head before he tried to ease Scott's mind. At least about Jean. "Pym said it took weeks for that drug to do the trick," Logan said once Jean and Scott let the awkwardness overtake them. "Two part thing … even if there's something goin' on with an implant, you should have time."

Jean nodded slowly. "That makes sense."

"Unless you were in trouble to start with, you should be fine for now," Logan said with a little smirk. "But the scan would still be smart. Just so it doesn't bite you in the ass in a few weeks."

Scott had turned red at that, but he nodded all the same - and the only reason Kurt didn't say anything was that Jean was in his head detailing exactly how she'd make him think he was a nine-year-old girl if he didn't keep his mouth shut.


	24. A Little Help?

When the little group got to the Avenger's headquarters, and when Hank Pym heard what exactly they were there for, it was easy for anyone to watch his temper rise, though he shoved it down to gently show the girls to just outside the scanning chamber before he got it working as Janet came around to first look more than a little upset at  _why_ they'd shown up - and then to get very confused when K was not only going along with everyone's requests still, but not picking on anyone the whole time.

"Long story," Logan said when he saw Jan's inquisitive look. "But the girls are both gonna need a once-over."

Jan bit her lip as she watched the little group. "Jean too?" she asked. "I thought this was a your-family situation…"

"Jean too," Logan repeated. "It's an obsessed-with-Scott thing, so if Scott's interested in her - so's Essex."

"Ugh." Jan rolled her eyes. "I didn't even know he was out of  _jail_. When do I zap him into next Friday?"

"Probably have to spot him first," Logan pointed out, which was when Jan turned his way and gave him a more thorough once-over.

"Why are you …. You've got a lot of blood on you, did you know that?" Jan asked.

Logan shrugged as the first scans started up. "Mighta got carried away with a little fight."

"Define little," Jan said, her arms crossed over her chest.

"It was Sabretooth," Kurt added helpfully.

Jan let out a noise that said exactly what she thought of  _that_ guy. "Of course it was. Because why would you guys do just  _one_ massive disaster at a time?"

"I like to multitask," Logan deadpanned. "It's my mutant power."

Jan shook her head at that. "Well, we have a shower you can use, you know."

"Maybe once K's done with all this noise," Logan said. "But not before."

Jan nodded, knowing how bad things could be. And to be honest, she was a little worried about how … woozy K was acting. She had hoped to get K involved in some wedding planning, actually… Not the  _planning_ but… well. She liked K, and sometimes, it was nice to have some girlfriends that would be excited for her.

She made her way into the medical wing just as Hank - with that same very quiet anger clearly building behind his expression - was setting up the girls for some scans.

"Find somethin' that bad?" Logan asked.

"We're just starting," Hank said, though with an audience, he tried to put on a less frustrated expression and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Well, if it's any consolation, she won't argue with anything this time," Logan said.

Hank shook his head at that and then looked at Jan. "Oh, well, in that case, I suppose if I ask her to name the baby 'Henry' if it's a boy…" he said, just to get a little giggle out of Jan.

"No, sorry," K said quietly. "That's not happening this time around. Everything said 'girl'."

Hank raised an eyebrow. "I know about the ultrasound, but the technology is still new-"

"No, not that test," K said, waving a hand, before she started to very vaguely describe a different and far more invasive test that had happened outside of the Avenger's reach - with Essex. "He even said he wasn't surprised that Logan would have a girl just to  _spite_ him." She gave Hank a very serious look and let her voice drop to a more professional and less airy kind of tone. "But that's not scientifically feasible."

Hank was back to his angrier expression, though Jean cleared her throat and  _tried_ to bring a little sass back into the group, since K was so out of it. "Yes. Well, it  _was_ his 'X' chromosome, if I remember biology right…"

"It's not a choice," Hank said irritably. "And that idiot who  _claims_ to be a scientist has no business testing  _anyone_."

"Trust me; everyone here agrees with you," Scott muttered.

"You know what I like about you?" K said to Hank, still sounding and looking perfectly out of it. "You don't have the same stink of failure on you that the other guy does."

"Well, duh. He's  _Hank_ ," Jan said, leaning over to kiss Hank's cheek. "This is why she's going to be in our wedding party, sweetheart."

Hank smirked at that. "Yes. Well. At any rate, we need to be sure nothing was introduced to either of you, so if you would please…"

At Hank's request, K held perfectly still, eyes closed and barely even looking like she was breathing. Which had Jean a bit nervous. "This will wear off, won't it?" Jean said.

"It did the last time."

Jean blew out a breath through her lips and did her best to hold still, though not as still as K was. The scan itself only took a minute or so, and as soon as it was over, Hank was frowning deeper, but he was sure to turn off the mic before he turned his head toward Scott and Logan. "Looks like it's just trackers this time. Multiples, of course, and some will be a pain to get to, but nothing like last time."

Scott let out a breath of obvious relief. "Good. Good. That's… good."

"You can tell Jeannie," Logan said. "But let me get K moving first. I don't like this weird … obedient trance thing she's doing."

"Talk to the professor," Scott suggested. "I was out of it, but Jean says there was a command. She can even give you the words…"

Logan sighed at that, and though he wasn't excited, he grudgingly nodded. "Fine."

"Good. Thanks. I…" Scott ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry. I meant to get up early for your birthday and keep a lookout…"

"Not your fault," Logan said, shaking his head. "He'd have come anyhow." Logan paused. "Good news outta this, though, huh? Hope you're really alright with a sister."

"I really am," Scott promised. "I hope you're alright with a little girl too." He let out a breath and gave Logan a tight smile. "And… I'm okay with just being a brother. Not a father."

Logan let out a little laugh at that. "Good. We were teasin'. Just teasin'."

"Yeah, well, let's put a hold on that for… a while, okay?"

Logan nodded as the two of them got to the girls. "We can revisit it in ten years or so."

"Yeah." Scott shook his head and let out a long breath. "Right. So. Anyway." He pointed Jean's way and then followed the point, still stuck between relieved and worried about his mom as he came to sit beside her. "Well, the good news is no shotguns," he said with a small smirk.

"Okay, that's good, right?" Jean asked.

"Yeah." Scott nodded. "I mean, it is, right?" He glanced between Jean and K.

K nodded seriously. "I ran away when my mother tried to marry me off. So … yes. No forced anything like that."

"Thanks, Mom," Scott said, shaking his head at her before he turned back to Jean.  _I already talked to Logan about taking her to the professor…_

_Oh good._

Logan had gently pulled K to her feet by that time and was well on his way to get K to the lab, and by the time Jean and Scott got there, they were down to pulling the last tracer on her - which, like before was in her sinuses - though a little better anchored this time around.

Jean winced. "Please tell me mine isn't in the same place."

"No, you've got two in your arm and one behind your ear," Hank said. He gestured at her. "If you take a look, you'll at least have marks."

Jean made a face, but she turned her arms over a few times until she found the still-fresh marks, and the idea of something  _inside_ her arms was just too much. She shuddered, and she just wanted them  _out_  - and the next thing she knew, her arms  _hurt_ … and Logan got pegged in the forehead with one of the trackers, though the other hit the wall.

"What the hell?" Logan said as he turned toward her. Of course, as soon as he got a good look at her, the angry expression shifted to one that was much more concerned. "Take a seat, Jeannie. Scott, grab some bandages."

"I… I didn't mean to…" Jean sank into the seat, looking completely mortified, even as Scott rushed to get her something to help with her now bleeding arms.

Logan made his way over to her to help out. "You know, most people let 'em get numbed up first."

"I just wanted to - I didn't want them in me…" Jean bit her lip. "I've been having power surges…"

"You're fine," Logan promised as he took a moment to help stop the bleeding, though he was trying not to laugh. "Just try to relax a little before the doc gets over here - and let her numb you up."

 _It's not like anyone can blame you,_ Scott said with a smile as he finished wrapping up her right arm.  _Everyone else would have the same 'get it out' reaction. You're the only one with the power to make it instant. Well… except my parents._

 _They can't just yank them out,_  Jean replied, though she was still shrinking in on herself.

 _No, but they would have just cut them out and sworn for a few minutes during and after. It's … well. It's kind of how they met. Sort of._ When Logan had wrapped Jean's other arm, Scott took a moment to kiss her cheek.  _Hey, you're fine. Seriously. No one is mad, and hey, you have two out of three gone._

Jean nodded.  _Thanks, Scott._

Scott nodded and stayed with her until Hank had finished with K. And thankfully, the tracker behind Jean's ear was only just beneath the surface of the skin, so once that was out… "Let's just go home," Scott said. "It's my turn to look out for you, and Dad needs to take Mom to the professor."

"Are you sure you guys don't want to stay here for a few days?" Jan broke in, looking honestly concerned. "That was pretty … terrible."

Scott shook his head. "No, I'd rather be home."

"Then … can you tell me when she should be over all of this? Because I really do need to have a chat," Jan said.

"I'll let her know you're looking for her -  _after_ she's okay and she's had time to recover," Scott said. "I'm sorry, Wasp, but… this … even when the physical stuff is healed?" He let the sentence hang in the air.

"Give her a week," Logan said. "That oughta be enough time for her to stop wantin' to kill someone after she comes out of it." He smirked at Jan. "Unless there's a  _rush_."

Jan flushed. "Well, no. We're getting married in the summer… so you'll have your little one by then… I just… I'm totally getting a tiny little bridesmaid dress for her, you know that, right? And a slightly less tiny one for K…"

"Oh, you're hilarious," Logan said, shaking his head as the doc finally finished with K.

"I am and you know it," Jan said and kissed Logan's cheek. "So, if you and your insane family could try not to pick fights with giant creeps and semi-doctors for just long enough for me to actually  _get married_ …"

Logan held his arms out. "Hey. They come lookin' for us. We haven't yet picked a fight on  _anyone."_

"Speak for yourself. I keep trying to get Creed to fight me fair and square so I can blast him into the Atlantic," Scott said dryly.

"You can hang that one up, kid," Logan said. "I've been tryin' to get him to fight  _me_ fair and square for as long as I can remember. It's never gonna happen."

"Yeah, because he knows he'd lose to either of us."

"You damn right he would," Logan agreed. "I'm gonna take her upstairs. When you two're done, come find me."

Scott smirked at that. "Just give us a second," he said. "Jean's already set. Dr. Pym just wanted to check that I didn't have any trackers either. Then we'll be ready to head home."

"If history's any indicator, we'll be with Cap," Logan said before the two of them headed out together with Logan's arm around her shoulders.

In short order, Pym had Scott in the scanner too - though he didn't censor himself with the young man when he swore outright. "You might as well come and have a seat. You've got more than she did."

"I wish that surprised me," Scott said dryly.

"Well I've got good news and I got bad news," Hank said. "The good news is that you don't need us to go up your nose."

"Okay, why do I get the feeling that just means the bad news is worse than 'up my nose'..."

"Try your ear."

"Oh you're kidding."

"Wish I was," Hank said. "But that's what he used for you. Still better than going into the sinuses, but … depending on exactly how far in it is, you may have some hearing loss on a temporary basis."

Scott pinched the bridge of his nose. "Of course," he said. "He wants to make it more of a pain to get rid of it so we just…  _don't_."

"Judging by what we had to do to get the one out of your Mom's head? Yeah. that exactly." Hank looked ready to go back out after him. "Makes me wanna buzz up his nose and go giant."

"I would not complain," Scott said. "We have a rule against killing, but I think in this case…"

"We have that same rule," Hank said with an almost determined growl. "But accidents happen."

"Hey, honestly… I think that rule applies only to people that can change." Scott let out a breath as he laid back. "Last time I was in Department H, one of the guys there…" He trailed off. "Anyway, made me realize some people, with the powers they have and the crimes they're willing to commit… In  _rare_ cases, don't get me wrong. One in a million… Like Sinister..."

 _Who should be launched into space,_ Jean put in.

_You wind up the pitch…_

Jean smirked at Scott and then scooted over to where he was to give him a kiss before the doctor got down to work. By the time he was finished, all of the trackers were out, but as Hank had predicted, well… the inner ear on his left side was damaged. It would heal, but for the moment, as soon as he started walking around, he felt off.

Hank sighed as he patched Scott up from his little extraction. "If you take care of it - and don't get any water in it - you should heal up pretty quickly. Relatively speaking."

"How quick is 'quickly', because I'm supposed to be running a team…"

"You can still run the team," Hank said. "You just might have to do it from behind for a little while." When it was clear that Scott wasn't happy with that answer, Hank hedged. "Six weeks if you're lucky. Might have lasting effects beyond that for another six or seven."

Scott let out a noise of frustration from the back of his throat. "I swear, every time I heal up from this guy sticking his nose in, he comes back before I can even enjoy being  _healed_."

 _Also probably on purpose,_ Jean pointed out gently.

_Just makes me want to put him in orbit._

Jean smiled and wrapped her arm through his.  _You can still run Danger Room sessions, and I won't complain about having you around more on rest and recovery._

Scott had to smirk at that.  _You're enjoying this way too much._

 _Definitely not,_ she teased.

When they got upstairs, K and Logan were, as predicted, talking with Steve. "Well, it looks like you and I are back to being nursemaids," Jean teased Logan quietly, though it was clear she was at least more frustrated by Sinister than she was willing to let Scott see.

"Yeah? What's wrong now?" Logan asked softly.

Jean tapped her left ear. "Well, his tracker wasn't in his sinuses, but…"

"Yeah, that's couldn't have felt good," Logan said.

"Yeah." Jean bit her lip. "Well, Hank said it would be about six weeks before his equilibrium and hearing is back up to snuff…" she whispered low.

"That … doesn't surprise me," Logan said, though Steve had been listening the whole time and was clearly simmering.

"Well, Scott thinks the whole point is to make getting rid of the stuff he puts in less appealing than leaving it in," Jean said, wrapping her arm around herself.

"That fits with how the one in K's sinuses was anchored," Logan agreed. "Much deeper and it would have been in bone for anyone else."

Jean winced at that, and then her eyes flashed. "If we hadn't been so focused on getting out - I mean… if I wasn't having surges…" She narrowed her eyes.

"Jeannie. You two did fine," Logan said.

"We did," she said. "But I'd feel better about it if he was gone. I'm tired of him …  _destroying_ your lives." She shook her head. "We could do it…"

"You don't need to be thinkin' that way," Logan said firmly. "You don't want to kill, and I don't want you to. You can't bounce back from that. Even if you think it was earned. You'd carry it with you for the rest of your life. And he's not worth it."

Jean let her shoulders drop and rubbed a hand over her face. "I know," she said. "But there's just…" Her eyes flashed. "There's something inside me that when I think of what's going on with Sinister just…"

"Yeah, and you're the kind of person that doesn't follow that vindictive little voice. Stay that kind of person."

Jean relaxed a bit and then smiled Logan's way. "Alright. I'm just mad."

"You got every right to be," Logan said. "So do I, so does he, and when she remembers it - K will absolutely be furious."

Jean nodded, wrapping her arms around herself again, though before she could say anything else, a light rapping at the doorway caught their attention. Clint was standing in the doorway with a halfway apologetic look on his face.

"Somethin' on your mind, carnie?" Logan said before he looked Clint's way.

"Yeah, Jan was venting and I heard about the problem," Clint said, shrugging nearly up to his ears. "And, ah, well, I'm no doctor, but I… you know what, here." Clint simply set a set of hearing aids on the table. "I don't use 'em anyway. And if it isn't just a couple months, no point in not having something right off."

"Such a sweet kid," K said from where she was leaning on Steve.

"Don't… make it a thing," Clint said. "Just give 'em back when you got your senses back, alright?"

"It's a thing," K stage whispered to Steve.

"It really is," Steve agreed.

"C'mon, Cap," Clint said, shaking his head. "Just… c'mon. It's no big deal."

"No, but it's something I didn't know, Hawkeye," Steve said.

"Yeah. Well. Don't make it a thing, Cap," Clint said, already turning to leave. "Now you know. Don't spread it around, mkay?"

"I'm not one to gossip," Steve said. "No one will know that you don't want to tell."

"Good." Clint shrugged Scott's way. "Get better, okay, kid? And hey, learn to lip read. It's a good skill even if you get it all back. Drives everyone else crazy." He got back a bit of his crooked smile. "Almost as good as super hearing," he added Logan's way before he slipped into the hallway.

"Are you ready to go back?" Steve said as he turned to the others. "Because I think we can get you there and settled in quickly.

"Yeah." Scott was looking toward the doorway. "That was… how did - Dad, tell me you knew. Right?"

"I wasn't the one digging into him," Logan said. "Your mom was."

"I feel like I need to give Tony a hard time that this guy had his own medical tech in the place for this long and he didn't know," Scott said as he scooped up the aids. "I don't know how, but I will."

"Oh yeah, that's gotta happen," Logan agreed.

Scott smirked. "Thanks, Captain Rogers. I think we're ready to go home - and apparently, you need to talk to Hawkeye," he said. "Mom, did you know? Because if you didn't, that's all of us in the dark."

"That … no. It must have been in the childhood stuff," K said. "The records worth looking into on him were only the ones that started just before his criminal record."

Jean smiled and gave K's arm a squeeze. "Well, it's nice to know you don't know  _everything_. That's kind of a relief," she teased.

"Well …. Now I'm just going to have to dig all the way to birth records," K said seriously.

"On every lost little boy she finds," Scott said dryly.

"Yes. Because they don't tell the whole story on their own," K replied.

"Sometimes, we like to think it makes us mysterious," Scott teased. "Or so I'm told."

"Then your Dad wins that game," K said. "Hands down." Which, of course managed to earn a smirk from Logan as the little family finally headed back to Westchester.


	25. Trust In Me

"Alight, Clint," Steve said as soon as he got back from dropping off the little group of X-Men back in Westchester. "You and me - no one else has to be in on this."

Clint was back in his room and looked like he was expecting that reaction. In fact, he looked almost resigned to it. "Good. That's good."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Steve asked.

"It honestly didn't come up," Clint said with a shrug, obviously trying to play it up and visibly uncomfortable with the attention. "I didn't know lifetime medical records were a requirement for this outfit, but if you're worried, I swear, it's only partial - and I can lip read and manage just fine, really."

"No, that's not it," Steve said, shaking his head. "What if I told you we could have used that to our advantage in some situations?"

Clint gave Steve a dry look. "Yeah, sure."

"No, really. If I'm in your sight line and know you can read my lips, I don't have to speak out loud to get the message to you, right?"

"Hey, if you know sign, even better," Clint said. "My brother and I learned it growing up. Probably rougher than anything you've seen, but hey." Clint shrugged. "It works."

"Hawkeye, I want to know these things because I trust you, and that would be a real sign of trust to share that kind of thing with your team. I'll stand by what I said before - you don't have to tell the others. But if you did, I'm sure Stark would come up with something better than what you had. And either way, that was a great thing that you did for Scott. I'm sure he'll remember it for a long time."

"I told you - I don't use 'em anymore," Clint said. "I haven't for years. I just keep 'em for emergencies."

Steve raised his eyebrows at that. "How long have you had them?"

"Elementary school," Clint said. "In between Kindergarten and first grade. Had the summer to get used to 'em…"

"So … I'm guessing it wasn't a fluke thing."

"Yeah, no, unless you count a table and my ear and a beer bottle a fluke thing, no, you'd be right," Clint said dryly.

Steve looked more grim at that. "I'm sorry to hear that."

Clint shrugged. "Like I said. I don't need the aids, and no one even noticed all this time. So it's not going to affect my work on the team."

"Never thought it would," Steve said.

"Sure you did."

Steve smirked. "If Logan was here, he could vouch for me on that. You're an asset to the team since you joined on. That doesn't change over something like this."

"Yeah, Logan and his nose," Clint said. "You know there's easier ways to spot a lie, right?"

"Oh yeah, but it's more fun to play good cop bad cop with him doing the stoic routine."

"I can't imagine you being bad cop, Cap," Clint smirked.

"Oh, I'm not," Steve said.

"That's what I thought." Clint shrugged. "Anyway. Don't tell Stark. If I wanted better tech, I mean, if I  _needed_ it, I'd ask Pym. But not Stark."

"Alright, but like I told you, I'm not telling anyone," Steve promised. "It's not my story to tell."

"Alright then." Clint leaned back against the wall. "I wasn't trying to lie to you. For the record."

"I know," Steve said, flashing him a smile. "No one likes to talk about stuff like that from when they were kids."

"Yeah, not all of us came out of an experiment or got superpowers to walk it off."

Steve's smile became more crooked. "No. I guess they don't." He waved for Clint to join him. "I got some new intel that came in on our redheaded friend. Thought you might want to go over it with me."

Clint broke into a huge grin at that. "Hey, if that's what happens every time I spring something from the past, I got circus stories to tell you - and we'll find Nat in twenty-four hours."

"Well, if that's what does it, by all means, tell me about the bearded lady."

* * *

It had taken some time - and left Charles with quite the headache - but he was able to get at the command in K's head. It helped that Jean knew the specific words Essex had used, and from there, Charles was able to trace the man's footsteps in her mind.

There was still plenty of damage from the department. But at the very least, Charles was able to restore K to the way she was before Essex had a hold of her.

And K had come out of it positively worn out - though that slipped away quickly when she heard what the trigger was - to be sure it was gone - and what the effects of it were. And then she was simply … quiet and livid, glaring ahead of her as she made her way down the hall to start digging for more intel.

"I'm fine, Scott," K said when she smelled him creeping up to check on her. "But next time, if this crap happens again, I'm going to tell you right now I want the tracker handed to me once it's out."

"If you tell Hank Pym, I'm pretty sure he'll give it to you," Scott said.

"Call him for me, then," K said. "I'm working on something."

"Mom." Scott shook his head. "You  _just_ got your head back."

"And if I understand it right, he's under the impression that everyone wants to sit back and heal before dropping a freakin' bomb on him."

"Mom, I leveled him  _and_ the house. I'm pretty sure that counts as dropping a bomb," Scott said. "I know you were out of it, but he'll have to set up a new lab and everything."

"Yeah, well, I want more of his aliases - because Charles said that was an OLD trigger."

"Yeah, it sounded more like poetry than mine," Scott said, making a face. "But hey, let me help with the research, okay? Not because I don't think you can, but I'm going crazy being on desk duty for the team, and I could use a project that isn't learning sign language with Hank - though that  _is_ a great asset for the team to communicate in the field if Jean can't hook us all up. Clint had the right idea."

K thought about it for a moment, then pulled a chair out for him. "Alright. I guess I can teach you how to find the right spots to dig."

"See?" Scott grinned. "And then when my baby sister is here, I swear, I'll watch her and you can destroy this guy. I won't complain."

"You mean if your Dad doesn't panic at the very thought of me going after him."

"You can go together. Like I said, I'm babysitting."

"Yeah, because that worked out so well last time," she deadpanned.

Scott let out a breath. "Mom, I'm trying to be optimistic."

"And you're doing such a good job, sweet Caramel Mocha."

"Uh-huh."

"Yeah, I'm just ... mad. What do you want? Come on - this is how it's done, okay? If you're looking for anything around the department, it's all in code to hide it in random patterns. You need to know what the keys are that they hide stuff in."

Scott nodded. "Alright. That would explain why even some of the stuff I  _could_ read in Dad's files made no sense."

"Well, that's a different series of codes," K said. "I'm just talking about classifications. And if it's anywhere near as old of a trigger as Charles said, then it was definitely them that put it in there."

"He seemed annoyed by the department, though," Scott said with a frown.

"Doesn't mean he wasn't involved in one way or another." She shook her head as she wrote out a little list of words that seemed to have no real connection to each other - and when put in a list like she had them, it looked entirely insane. "Most of the people working for Weapon X disagreed with something they did sooner or later."

"Well, we can look at the powers he has too," Scott said slowly. "Jean said he teleported, but it wasn't like Kurt. I know where he got his beams and healing, but if we can track that back…"

"Kurt's not the only teleporter in the world," K replied quietly. "But … you should tell your dad that part, if you haven't already."

Scott nodded. "Yeah, I'll ask him," he agreed.

"Keep in mind: if he doesn't remember right away, it may still come to him later. And that hurts when it comes back. So. Patience."

"Yeah, I know," Scott said. "And hey, I still have five and a half more weeks to go, so … I have time. Clearly."

"Then you start with these, and I'll work on a different set of words," K said.

"Thanks, Mom," Scott said, leaning over to kiss her cheek. "I'm glad you're back. Jean was trying to pick on everyone while you were too quiet for her tastes. She's funny, but your sense of humor is different."

"Well ... she tried. That counts for something, right?"

"She likes you, Mom," Scott said with a smile.

"She's trying. And a lot harder than your professor; I can say that for sure," K said as she started digging in again.

"Probably helps that Jean really wants  _my family_ to like her," Scott pointed out with a small smile. "It's different."

"Yeah, we've had a few chats," K agreed. "I can't imagine how lost that girl would have been for all that time until Ororo showed up if we hadn't been here too."

Scott smirked. "Yeah, Ororo and Jean have  _both_ been looking out for you, by the way. And I'm glad Jean's got her, too. She's trying to act like Sinister didn't affect her as much as he did."

"Everyone would," K reasoned. "He's a nasty, pervy little creep. That's the kind of person you want to forget."

"No kidding." Scott rubbed the back of his neck. "I still don't know what to do about… well… I'm not going to  _stop_ seeing Jean, but how do you wrap your mind around him… approving?"

"Honestly?" K said, stopping her work and pushing back from the screen. "I'm looking at it like he had no freakin' clue until after you already picked - and he's the drooling idiot that's screaming out how he just  _knew_ you were going to pick that way. He's an annoying, after-the-fact pain in the ass. Ignore him." She shook her head as she turned back to the screen. "The fact of the matter is that he'd probably approve of damn near anyone 'his boys' picked out just because it would be someone else for him to torture and compare  _genes_ to."

"Not if it was… well, not if neither of you had powers," Scott pointed out.

"You don't know that either. What if they started out without the X-gene and then they walked out altered? I'm sure he'd do that just to say he was a genius." She waved a hand. "He just wants in your heads."

"Yeah, well, he's in," Scott muttered.

"Well, kick his freeloading ass out," K said, turning his way. "He doesn't get to live in your head rent-free."

"Yeah. I've been working on that for a few years now," Scott said.

"So be more stubborn about it," K said. "I  _know_ you can be more stubborn." She shifted how she was sitting, leaning back for a moment with a little grimace.

"Yeah, love you too, Mom," Scott said.

"Take it as a compliment. I  _like_ stubborn. Clearly."

"Hey, for the record? You'd adopted me well before you fell for Dad. So yeah. I know."

"That's true enough," K agreed, though she had to frown a little deeper. "But … I think I have to back off a little bit here. Your sister doesn't like how I'm sitting. Apparently."

Scott smirked at that and then leaned over to look at K's stomach. "Hey. Calm down in there. You don't get a shot at Sinister until you at least get your healing, got it?"

"Oh, there's an image," K said, smirking finally. "Creep goes down by toddler …"

"And down he goes," Scott finished for her. "See? Best family in the world."

"You're adorable when you get all … squishy."

"Yeah, well, don't make a thing of it. I told Dad there's a moratorium on jokes about me being a family man until, you know, I actually  _marry_ J- someone."

"Thirty. Ish. Yeah, he warned me," K said. "Still nothing wrong with having a soft spot. You know … that's how you were unofficially adopted so fast anyhow. Your squish and your genuine … you."

"My 'me'. Sounds about right."

"Both a fair description and an accurate one," she said before she got up and kissed his forehead. "I'm sorry your hearing is jacked up for a little while. That's pretty miserable."

"I'm alright," Scott said. "It took me a while to stop going sideways, but the aids Clint gave me helped."

"He's another giant squish."

"And I  _still_ can't believe he had you, Dad, and Captain Rogers in the dark about that," Scott said with a smirk.

"I have always only dug as far as I needed to. I'm not a psychologist," K replied. "And there was no mention of it in his medical record, so he must be getting them under a different name."

"He had a criminal record, right? Makes sense." Scott shrugged. "I know Captain Rogers was itching to talk to him."

"I'm sure he did," K said. "He seems to like to get to know everyone up close and personal. I thought he was going to break his face smiling when he felt the baby kick." She shook her head at that. "Like he's never been around a pregnant woman before. Lunatic."

"Hey, at the risk of subjecting myself to more jokes about my squishiness? It's so  _cool_ to feel that. And it's a miracle every time, so… yeah. Tiny person growing in there is going to get a smile every time."

K tipped her head with a fond sort of smile before she kissed his temple again. "So squishy. You get it from your Uncle Steve. Clearly."

"That's not how genetics work, Mom."

"No. But you spent so much time watching the old reels, I think it still applies."

"Sure, Mom." Scott kissed her cheek. "I'll go talk to Dad. And you… think about a name I can call my sister, because just saying, 'hi baby sister' isn't cutting it for me, okay?" he teased.

"I'm working on it," she said, letting her shoulders drop. "I was hoping to be able to have it down to a boy and a girl - just in case - and make you go with 'little one' for as long as possible. But I'll narrow it down."

"I'm sorry he did what he did to you," Scott said.

"Yeah, not your fault," she said. "It was his fault. And I won't listen to anyone saying otherwise."

"No, but I am still… upset for you. Is that better?" Scott said. "I just mean - you know. It's no fun."

K gave him a weary sort of smile. "He's not the first, and I'm sure it's not a stretch to say he won't be the last."

"Mom, if he's not the first evil scientist to kidnap you and more or less get you pregnant, we need to have a talk," Scott said.

"Not that part, you little shit," she said with a laugh. "I meant all the other stuff."

Scott grinned. "Yeah, but it made you laugh."

"You're a lunatic. Also. Genetic."

"You  _did_ meet my father…"

"I did," she agreed, nodding slowly. "And … we took a little while to get an understanding."

"You never did tell me how that went," Scott said. "I just know you went in to talk to him and went out inviting him to poker."

"We … had a little rough start. Misunderstanding … nothing too big. Or scary."

"Well, I'm glad you get along," Scott said. "You guys are my parents, but he's still family, you know?"

"That's what I was aiming for," she said.

"Love you too."


	26. Is How Is Done In Russia

It took some getting used to - the lack of coordination when Scott's equilibrium was just so…  _off_. It was frustrating in a way he couldn't even put words to, not to be able to use his own body the way he was used to, knowing that it was Essex or Sinister or whatever he wanted to call himself who had made it so Scott couldn't even focus on the team he'd picked for himself, on the new family he'd made.

Scott made the most of it, of course. He had to.

He still came to every team practice, even if he stayed in the booth. Though that wasn't always the case, either. He programmed the sim to more or less ignore his presence so he could at least be  _in_ the Danger Room with his team, being a leader on the ground even if he wasn't stretching the same way.

He wasn't going to let Sinister take the team away from him.

In the middle of the few weeks that Scott was still recovering - again - the holidays managed to sneak up on them.

The team worked together to put up decorations all over the institute, including a huge tree that had taken the combined efforts of Piotr and Logan to get into the house. And Kurt had taken the liberty of putting mistletoe on almost every doorway.

Which was entertaining enough on its own when that gave Logan and K an "excuse" to… more or less carry on their usual level of PDA. But then add to that the fact that half the team was encouraging Scott and Jean, and it was a pretty great Christmas thus far.

Especially when it looked like Kurt had decided the mistletoe was exactly the push toward courage he needed to steal a kiss from Ororo in the doorway of the living room. He had smiled shyly at her, his tail swaying in anticipation in the few seconds it took her to register her surprise - and then she had kissed him back, warmly and deeply, to the delight of everyone who saw it, but especially to Kurt's delight.

But the Christmas celebrations weren't limited to just the school itself. For those that had family outside of the school walls, there was also time to go home and be with them. So, Bobby went back to Boston… and Jean surprised Scott when she invited him to spend Christmas Eve with her family.

And that was how Scott found himself at the Grey household during the holidays, feeling a little out of place but grinning despite himself as he got to see Jean with her parents and sister. It was obvious that she loved them, and really, Jean had done so much to bond with Scott's parents that Scott felt like he needed to put forth his best effort to do the same.

But Scott was pleasantly surprised by how inviting Jean's family was, especially during the holidays when, well, it  _was_ supposed to be all about families. So, yeah, it was kind of nice to know that he was just as welcome with them as Jean was with Logan and K. There was even a little picking - though that was mostly Jean and her sister, because, well, sisters.

Scott was even surprised to find himself included in some family traditions, not the least of which was a new set of pajamas for everyone to wear while they gathered in the living room to have some cocoa by the fireplace.

Scott was smirking to himself as he put his arm around Jean's shoulders - and then smiling outright when she not only leaned in but stole a kiss that prompted another round of sister-teasing. Mostly along the lines of "At least I  _have_ a boyfriend" and "You can't do things like that in public."

 _She'll get over it,_ Jean projected to Scott, rolling her eyes, though he just shrugged at that, not too concerned.

_Hey, if you think I don't hear it from Alex all the time…_

_Oh, I_ know  _you hear it from Alex._

 _Just part of having siblings around,_ Scott said, once more with that same unconcerned shrug before he went ahead and stole another kiss to boot.

Jean grinned up at him.  _You know,_ she said,  _I think I like this look on you._

_What look?_

_This relaxed and happy look. I think you should try it on more,_ she teased.

 _Hey, it's Christmas,_ Scott pointed out.  _And I've got you. And I think your dad actually likes me._

 _He does,_ Jean promised, unable to hide her smile, especially on hearing where Scott's priorities were.

 _So, aside from having a couple more weeks before I can get rid of this…_ Scott tapped the borrowed hearing aide.  _...It's kind of nice to spend some time with your family and not have some horrible thing breathing down our necks._

 _I… feel like you've jinxed yourself there, Mr. Summers,_ Jean said.

Scott shook his head at that.  _Come on. We actually_ beat  _Sinister last time. I'd say let's ride that victory as long as it lasts. It's not like I don't know he'll be back. I'm just saying…_ He tipped his head toward the fire and smiled.  _It's Christmas Eve, and I've got you._

Jean smiled a little wider at that.  _You're a romantic, Mr. Summers._

 _Takes one to know one, Miss Grey,_ Scott replied before he simply pulled her into another, longer kiss.

* * *

When the six weeks was over, K was eager to not only get the aides back to Clint - but to get the newest intel she and Scott had dug up on Essex and the department  _and_ Natasha to Steve. It was overdue, after all, and the two of them really didn't have much else to do.

But where Scott was rushing to the Danger Room to dive back into his training, K still had precious little to occupy her time, so of course, she volunteered to deliver.

She was  _almost_ halfway through the pregnancy - so she wasn't quite far enough to make her boys too alarmed by driving herself, so she was sure to rush out before one of them could decide she needed an escort anyhow.

She let herself inside the mansion when she got there, and of course, it was Jan that met her at the door. "Is your big blonde here?" K asked. "Not the big-big blonde … the slightly  _less big_  big blonde."

Jan giggled. "Okay, but that doesn't narrow it down much," she said. "There's Steve, there's Hank, there's Clint…"

"Oh. well. If you just want to parade them around, I won't mind too much."

"Mm, no, I'm getting married to one of them," Jan giggled. "I mean, I like to watch him for  _me_  but - oooh! That reminds me. I neeeed to talk to you at some point about the wedding because I have sketches you need to see for your baby girl's bridesmaid dress."

"I don't even know how to handle that," K laughed. "We don't know how big she'll even be for one thing …"

"Well, you're due in March, and we're getting married in June…"

"Well that tells you how big  _I'll_ be. Not how big she'll be."

"You'll be back to teeny tiny K, I know," Jan said. "Still. I have thoughts. And I can size it accordingly. But!" She shook her head. "You wanted a blonde."

"I do. For a little bit." K followed Jan a little deeper into the mansion and took a seat on the more cushy couch - just to settle in for whatever time she'd be there. Love the kids in Westchester as much as she did - it was still nice to get away from all the hustle and bustle.

Ultimately, it was Steve that Jan brought back, since she sort of assumed whoever K wanted, Cap could handle it. "How are you doing, K? No emergencies?"

"Great, but as much as I appreciate your beautiful smile, I really was looking for your shadow."

"Tony's been in his lab all day."

K smirked. "And you and I both know that pregnant girls probably scare the crap out of him more than anything else," she laughed. "No, come on. Where's the impressionable little archer?"

"Oh, that one." Steve smirked. "I'll get him for you."

"Thank you," she sang out and turned to Jan. "Let the parade begin."

"You were purposefully vague so I'd get as many blondes as you could get, weren't you?" Jan said, giggling and shaking her head.

"Like you don't do the same thing. All the time. That's why you live in a house with three stacked blondes."

"Mmm, you mean I live in a house with a gorgeous,  _brilliant_ blonde scientist… and window dressing," Jan said.

"That's absolutely what I said," K laughed.

Jan smiled and leaned back. "I so need to come over more. I love hanging out with you - and the girls on Scott's team are amazing, you know that? Jean has the  _best_ fashion sense."

"She's a really good kid," K agreed. "And she loves you."

"Who wouldn't?" Jan giggled.

"Only crazy people," K said before Clint walked in and K gave him a little smile and patted the couch next to her. "Got a minute?"

"For you? Sure," Clint said with a shrug before he dropped onto the couch. "So, what's up? I break parole or something?"

"Well, I have something that belongs to you," K said, though she didn't take them out of her pocket with Jan in the room. "And … I was bringing some fresh intel to the big heads to go over."

"Yeah? Anything on Tash?" Clint asked, leaning forward with a much more genuine smile than before.

"Little bit," K admitted. "Not much and it looks like it's a month old or better, but at least I know where to dig to find more."

Clint let out a breath. "She's good, you know. And she's not on her own. She didn't kill Tony, so she's back with whoever she works for. I thought that would make finding her easier, right? Organization?"

"Not for who she's working for," K said. "If it was someone else? Maybe. But … it's a faction of the Russian government. And they're more than a little secretive."

"Figures." Clint shrugged lightly, though it was obvious to see he was disappointed.

"Doesn't mean I can't crack them," K said. "I've done stuff like that before."

"Yeah, well, we'll see how things go," Clint said before he turned to face K. "Anyway. You brought something?"

"I did," she said, and then turned to watch Jan until she rolled her eyes and got up to leave. And once Jan was out of the door, K reached into her pocket and handed a little bundle wrapped in a handkerchief to him. "Scott thanks you. So do Logan and I. You were an incredible help to him."

Clint shrugged, though it was obvious he was pleased with the compliment. "No big deal. I remember how it feels when that crap happens, you know?"

"Yeah, I do," she said, then bit her lip for just a second. "You know - this whole … baby thing is kind of a whole different kind of weird."

"That's one thing I  _can't_ commiserate. Please don't ask your mad scientist to change that."

"I wouldn't do that to you," K laughed. "The kicks I can handle. It' just … this." She glanced down and frowned at her stomach - which was very slightly moving rhythmically. "If you put your hand right here …" she didn't really wait to very gently take his hand to set it on the side of her stomach. "Any guesses as to what's going on? Because I didn't know about this until it happened."

Clint was wide-eyed and completely disarmed. "I… wow… I don't even… no?" He glanced up at K. "Not a clue."

"Think about it for a minute. It'll come to you."

"I mean, unless your baby has a bad case of either the hiccups or dance fever…"

K was nodding at that. "No dance fever yet, but hiccups almost every day at the same time."

"That's so cool."

"And severely odd," K said.

"No kidding." Clint smiled up at her. "And hey. I'm just glad your kid didn't need the help on a permanent basis."

"Yeah, me too. He'd have had too much of a complex with eye issues and ear issues," K agreed.

"I thought Hank said the eye issues would fade with the thing that came out of his head?"

"Sure, if he's lucky," K said. "But he's prepared for that not to be the case. Grim little pessimistic streak there."

"Weird. Last time I saw him, he was - well, I guess it was a brave face?"

"Oh, he's an optimist about the future - about the family, his team - all of that, but for himself?" She shook her head. "Not like anyone else I've met or anything."

"Yeah, I've noticed that. I think everyone but Jan in this building has a complex, you know that?"

"Jan - is made of sunshine. That's why she wears yellow."

"So what happened to Logan?"

"He likes for the other guys to not be able to take their eyes off him as he comes barreling at them." She smirked. "Draws all the attention his way, but it also keeps the focus off of pretty much anyone else with him."

"Huh." Clint shrugged. "Makes sense, I guess. Those of us with no powers stay on distance, I guess."

"Just watch next time you see the group moving with him in the mix," K said. "The yellow pulls the eye."

Clint nodded. "And what about you? You're giving out intel and aids and baby hiccups these days?"

"What else have I got to do?" K asked, gesturing widely.

"Hey, if it means you're putting your mind to finding Tash, count me in. I miss her, you know," Clint said, entirely seriously.

"I know," she said. "Which is why I took over on that detail. It's not a part time thing now - when there's a lead that pops up or a sighting like the guys were doing. I'm  _hunting_ from a distance."

"Thank you," Clint said. "Really. I wouldn't have even known where to start if I'd just… gone after her after you caught us."

"Hang tight, keep learning to be one of the good guys. I'll find her," K said. "Even if the little one gets here before her."

* * *

As it turned out … it didn't take too long with K on the trail to find where she was 98% sure that Natasha was stationed. After the snafu with Stark, the Red Room had been sure to keep her off the most active roster in the states, but that didn't mean she'd been idle - and growing more and more angry with the fact that she  _wasn't_ working stateside.

But that was kind of the perfect attitude for Logan and Steve to head out and find her. Of course, they didn't tell the other Avengers what exactly was going on. They really  _couldn't._ Tony was dead set against finding her if nothing else then because he wanted her to face up to her attempted murder. Pym was … understandably distracted and didn't really want to have any part of any kind of recruitment or rescue that wasn't  _necessary_. And Clint … well. They couldn't trust that he wouldn't just ditch out once he laid eyes on her. It was that blatantly obvious that the kid had it bad. Scott wouldn't even have known about it if not for the fact that K had let it slip over coffee one morning when it was just the two of them.

But none of it really had an impact by the time that Logan and Steve landed in . The two of them did what they could to blend in - though that was kind of a trick when Logan was as small as he was, and Steve so clearly  _not_ local either.

They staked out the building where K said Natasha had been going in and out - and simply watched it for a few days to see what her pattern was, exactly. And once they had it nailed down, it  _should_ have been a simple matter of following her and getting the drop on her.

Steve volunteered to take that role … following, though he wasn't far into his tail when he could  _see_ that Natasha was onto him. She tried to duck into the train car that she'd stood waiting for traffic to clear from, and Steve made the rush to catch up, but of course, when the doors closed behind her and the car began to move, she simply turned his way and gave him an almost saccharine sweet smile.

"Hey, that's no way to treat an old friend," Logan rumbled out from across the nearly empty car. "He came all the way here just to see you."

Natasha spun to face him, her eyes narrowed. "And you?"

"I came to find out what the hell you're doin',  _malen'kiy vorobey_."

At that, Natasha paused and lifted one eyebrow. "You so rarely spoke Russian," she said at last.

"Only for you," Logan replied.

"And now you expect me to, what, leave everything because you spoke Russian to me? You came here for a reason."

Logan shook his head at that. "No, like I said, I want to know what you're doing, Tash. Did you ever get away from that group?"

For just a moment, it looked like Natasha wanted to argue it, but then she simply shook her head. "No."

"How hard did you try? I know better than anyone if you put your mind to it - that's it."

"Hard enough that I don't remember every attempt," Natasha told him softly.

"And now?" Logan asked gently.

Natasha gestured broadly. "Now, I am here."

"Wanna go to a beach?" Logan asked with a smirk.

"I - what?" Natasha blinked at him and then broke into a nearly disbelieving laugh. "What are you talking about?"

"You need a vacation," he said, smirking. "You're more pale than I am. Sickly." He tipped his head. "And I know for a fact that group won't bother you if you're with me."

"I'm not a child anymore, Logan," Natasha said, shaking her head. "I know their reach. But it is nice to see you again."

"But you don't know mine," Logan said before he leaned forward. "I know the kinds of files you've been into, and I know you're not stupid enough to hand anything over before you've read it yourself. If I can keep my demons off my tail, you can bet your bad dye job I can keep 'em off yours."

Natasha almost couldn't help her laugh. "It's not a bad dye job!"

"It ain't a good one either," Logan countered.

"I needed to be blonde for a mission," she defended.

"Oh yah, me too," he replied with a smirk.

"Oh, no. You would look  _terrible_ blonde," Natasha said, shaking her head.

Logan couldn't help but smile genuinely at her. "Always a critic. Come on, Tash. Humor me. You can tell 'em you got a hot lead on a wayward weapon."

A mischievous sort of smile started up at the corner of Natasha's mouth. "That's entirely true."

"The best lies are," Logan agreed.

Natasha considered him for a long moment, her head tipped to the side. "Just answer me this," she said slowly, "why now?"

"Because it took me this long to make sure you were where you were supposed to be," Logan replied. "Or I'd have been here months ago."

"No," Natasha said, shaking her head. "I meant - why now? I was a  _child_ when I met you. And now you come back, years later…"

"This isn't the first we've crossed paths since then," Logan said, holding her gaze. "I didn't forget a lot of what happened with I was working with Carol Danvers in the CIA. I've known what you've been up to, but there's somethin' different going on with you now." He let out a long sigh. "This is just the first I've been  _free_ enough to do anything."

"Then the years haven't been very kind to you either, have they?" Natasha asked softly, taking a step toward him. "I'm sorry to hear it."

Logan shook his head slowly at that. "Can't change it," he said. "And you know some of what's happened with me, too."

"I looked, yes," she admitted. "A lot of it -  _most_ of it - is redacted. But what I did see - did you make them pay?"

"Still workin' on that," Logan admitted. "Hard to fight two entire governments at once on your lonesome."

"And here I only have one," Natasha said with a smirk. "I must be slipping."

"Clearly," he agreed. "Thought I taught you better'n that."

Natasha smirked. By that point, she was leaning against the wall of the car, her arms crossed as she watched him before, without any warning, she suddenly rushed toward him and threw her arms around him in a hug. "I have missed you," she said softly enough for just him to hear.

Logan was sure to wrap her up very much like he used to when she was just a little girl. "Missed you too, kiddo."

She stayed tucked into his side for a long while, seemingly reluctant to let the moment end, but finally, she did let out a breath and looked up at him again. "You said you have a place to go?"

"You bet I do," Logan said. "But you gotta get rid of the bad dye first, darlin'." He was smirking at her - unable to  _not_ pick just a little bit.

"Find a red that suits me, then," she shot right back.

"What? You can't even pick out your own color anymore?" He said then let out a low whistle. "Must be worse'n I thought."

"Stop it." Natasha shook her head at him. "You just don't want me to match the good captain," she teased. "You can't stand to be around that much blonde."

"That's entirely true. Like a wind tunnel on a bad day…"

Natasha shook her head at that, though she didn't say a word as the car came to a stop, and they exited together. She did, on the other hand, make it a point to stay close to him - not because she was worried but because she enjoyed being around him again.

"I think Steve can find his way back on his own," Logan said. "Less suspicious that way, anyhow. Just gotta know - Pacific or Atlantic?"

"Atlantic," Natasha said. "I'd rather go toward the States."

"Caribbean it is," Logan said with a nod. "Or would you prefer the Keys?"

"Either is fine with me," she said, waving a hand, though she couldn't hide her smile.

Logan kept his expression in place as they headed out - less used routes of travel until they were out of the country - and then when they got into Finland, Logan led the way to a hidden jet that held a message from Steve. "Ah. He says it's ready to go wherever the hell you want," Logan told her before he picked up the little container and shook it. "And he took the liberty of disabling the tracking systems. Thoughtful."

Natasha laughed outright at that. "Seriously," she said as she got settled, "what did I do to get you  _both_ looking my way - outside of trying to kill Tony Stark, of course…"

"We both liked you," Logan said, smirking. "Tryin' to take out Tony … that was just fun. He still isn't over it, by the way, so nice job."

"Well, that is something. Not quite destruction, but distraction nonetheless…"

Logan smirked a little wider as they took off. "Steve adopted your puppy, too."

"My what?"

"The blond. With a bow. Been pinin' for you the whole time."

"Oh, him." Natasha shook her head. "He was a terrible assassin."

"He really was." Logan shook his head. "Wonder if I should fix that."

"You could," Natasha said, smiling a little wider. "It would be fun to watch."

"Except now he's been hangin' out with Cap. Got himself all kinds of ideas about bein' a  _hero_."

Natasha smiled lightly at that. "That really doesn't surprise me. When I met him, he had just stopped a robbery."

Logan nodded at that and tipped his head to the side. "He's okay."

"A ringing endorsement."

"Bout as good as he'll ever get," Logan said thickly. "You can do better."

Natasha smirked at that. "I really didn't ask him to fall for me, Logan."

"You girls never do."

"And Steve took him in," Natasha said. "Good. That's what he wanted, I'm sure."

"Not entirely," Logan said.

"Of course it is," Natasha said with a wave.

"You underestimate how much a guy will throw away when they're stuck on a girl." he kept his gaze forward. "Especially when it's not a two way street."

"Logan…"

"I'm not advocatin' I'm just sayin'."

"If you want to know the truth of it, he was really just supposed to be a second set of eyes," Natasha said, shaking her head.

"Doesn't really matter to me," Logan said. "Just makin' conversation."

"I just don't want you to think -" Natasha paused and shook her head. "Well, I would. Never mind." She leaned back slightly and tipped her head his way. "Is he on this island getaway you've promised me?"

Logan let out a little snort of a laugh. "Hell, no." He turned her way with a little frown. "You really think I'd let that half wit near you on purpose? Come on."

Natasha laughed at that. "So it's just Steve, then."

"He doesn't know where we're headed," Logan said. "I never told him an island was my play." He smiled her way. "And you know damn well from the files, I almost always go  _north_."

"And after the island?" Natasha asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Guess that depends on if you wanna get loose of the Red Room or not." He held up one hand. "Just makin' the offer. I'm not gonna force you into it if you're not ready. Though I really  _hope_ you're ready."

Natasha pursed her lips as she watched him. "I think so," she said at last.

"What's with the doubt?" Logan asked.

"The looming possibility of the Avengers," Natasha teased.

"You afraid of  _Stark_?" Logan asked, sounding entirely amused before he started chuckling.

"Quite the opposite, actually."

"You still wanna kill him?" Logan asked, his eyes twinkling.

"My way's more fun," Natasha shot back with a smile.

"Yeah? What way's that? Cause he's hung up on his secretary."

"I know. Which would be less infuriating if he did anything about it," Natasha said. "But I, on the other hand, am  _not_ Pepper Potts." She smirked. "And, therefore, exactly his type."

"He's got a life coach of sorts," Logan said with a smirk. "Pushin' him to pull his head out and encouragin' her to quit if he doesn't."

"Well, lucky for me, one of those things is more likely to happen than the other."

Logan nodded his agreement. "Sure is." The two of them continued their back and forth as Logan took her to the southern-most island in the keys, and to Natasha's surprise, he was good for his word. Not once during their little island stay were they bothered by any Soviet spies that normally followed her around, and when it was clear that he was keeping her away from them, he let her choose the time to step up to tell him she was ready to leave the mai-tai's behind.

…..

From Russian

_malen'kiy vorobey - little bird_


	27. Family Reunion

 

True to form, there wasn't any lead up to Natasha's decision to leave the beach once she'd decided it was time to go. It was simply the case that she started to pack up her things one morning.

"So where're we headed, Tash?" Logan asked. "North or far north-east?"

"North," she said decisively. "I'd rather stay away from Russia. At least for the moment."

Logan nodded once at that, and didn't argue it one bit. "Then are you goin' by Cap or are you comin' with me?"

Natasha narrowed her eyes at that. "I thought they were the same option," she said slowly.

"We're in close contact again, but I'm  _not_ an Avenger," Logan pointed out. "Part of why I thought you might actually talk to me." He smirked at her. "Must have been a while since you read my files."

"I… had other things on my mind."

"Not a criticism, darlin'," Logan said. "I'd rather you met the family on your own speed anyhow."

"Family?"

Logan nodded slowly as he looked up at her. "Took me damn long enough."

Natasha smiled softly. "I'm sure it suits you."

"It's still new," Logan admitted. "And I'm not gonna push for you to go there unless you want to."

Natasha smirked. "Oh, I'm not quite ready for a family…" she teased.

"I know you're nowhere  _near_ ready for that if you're chasin' Stark," Logan chuckled.

"Nothing wrong with a little fun," she defended.

"Don't need to tell me. Just … be careful. He gets wrapped up fast." He started to lead the way toward the jet. "So. Cap's then, eh?"

"Oh, no. You can't just mention your  _family_ and then expect me to go to Steve!" Natasha hit his arm. "I need to meet them!"

"Kind of an odd set up," Logan said as they loaded up. "We're stayin' at a school, of all places. With a telepath runnin' the place."

Natasha narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

"That's where my son wants to be," Logan replied as if it was the most obvious explanation in the world. "And we can use the soft landing once the little one gets here."

"Two?" Natasha's eyebrows were high. "You have two children of your own and I haven't met them?" She shoved him hard, though for as anchored as he was, he really didn't move. "Why didn't you find me sooner? And  _lead with that_?"

"I've been on the run," Logan said. "They have too. Didn't know if you'd really care about that, super spy."

"My earliest memories of you were of you taking care of me. Of  _course I_  care about that."

"Then we'll head there first and you can meet 'em," Logan said, shifting the navigation so they could get there a little quicker.

"What's his name?" Natasha asked after a long silence; she seemed to be thinking about how to process everything she'd learned.

"Scott," Logan replied. "I adopted him a few years ago. Got him out of a bad situation, he hasn't wanted to go with someone else. So far."

"Why would he?" Natasha asked with a smile. "I didn't want to leave you either, if you remember."

Logan smirked to himself and nodded. "I do seem to remember that." He let out a sigh. "Don't know what we'd have done if you'd stayed."

"Carried on to win the war early in the worry that I would be hurt otherwise," she teased.

"Very likely," Logan agreed. "Then we'd've been forced to find somewhere better'n Madripoor for you to grow up."

"I'd have liked that," she said softly. "Very much."

Logan didn't comment on that, though a few little one-liners did cross his mind. And it wasn't until much later that he started dropping altitude as they approached Westchester. He glanced at the clock and shook his head. "Classes are out …"

"Perfect. Then there's nothing stopping me from meeting your son."

Logan nodded at that and then simply started going in for a landing, vertically and behind the mansion. "I give it all of a couple minutes before he comes by," Logan said under his breath as he started to turn off everything in the jet. And, of course, he wasn't wrong. By the time they were getting out of the jet, there were a small handful of teenagers headed their way.

"Which one is yours?" Natasha asked, leaning forward almost out of her seat with her eyes gleaming.

"You'll see," Logan said with a smirk.

And just like that, the group had made their way over, with Kurt teleporting to give Logan the hug first - purely to spite Scott and also, of course, to say hello. But Scott caught up after a second, shaking his head at Kurt. "Seriously?"

"I don't know what you're talking about,  _mein Freund_ ," Kurt said with a laugh, one arm draped over Logan's shoulders.

Scott shook his head again, though with Kurt being ridiculous, he opted instead to introduce himself to Natasha, who was watching the whole interaction looking  _immensely_ entertained. "Scott Summers," he said, holding his hand out to her.

"Natalia Romanova," she said, though she was smiling Logan's way when she shook Scott's hand.

"Nat's gonna stay for a few," Logan said. "Unless she gets scared and runs off, that is."

Natasha scoffed at him. " _Really_."

"Haven't met my wife yet," Logan said, smiling her way now.

"No, I haven't," she admitted.

"Well, if you're staying, I can give you a tour," Scott offered.

"Think she can get a room close by?" Logan asked, knowing full well the answer was yes.

Scott smirked and nodded. "Oh yeah. I can swing that."

"Where's your mom?" Logan asked. "Or did she get bored and go to pick on Avengers?"

Scott chuckled at that. "Nah, she's with Jean," he said. "Jean's been having power surges and had a killer headache, and Mom said she had a good fix."

"Point me," Logan said, still wearing a crooked, troublemaking smirk. When Scott started off, Logan turned toward Natasha. "I'll understand if you get scared."

Natasha rolled her eyes at that. "I'm  _fine_."

"So you're not gonna go runnin' like a little girl, then?" Logan teased.

"No, of course not."

When they got to the living room, Jean was half curled up on the couch with her arms over her stomach and smiling as she chatted with K- though Natasha didn't see her until Logan called out to her. "Sweetheart, I'd like you to meet Natasha," Logan said. "In daylight this time."

K turned to see them step in the room and couldn't help but smile at the expression on Logan's face. "Oh,  _hi_. You know, sooner or later, it would have to be a civil meeting," K said before she got to her feet. "Charmed."

Natasha blinked at K and then whirled on Logan. "You didn't  _tell me_."

"Technically, you didn't ask," Logan countered with a grin.

Natasha let out a huff that showed how clearly  _not_ amused she was before she turned back to K with a more appraising look. "If you hurt him…"

"Not even an issue," K said as she made her way over and offered her a hand to shake.

Natasha let out a breath as she took K's hand. "Logan said you were expecting," she said, trying hard to reconcile what she knew with the woman standing in front of her.

K smiled tightly at that and rested one hand over the obvious bump. "Yeah, obviously," she said. "I'm guessing he didn't tell you about all the mess that went with it."

"I'd rather not hear about what you and he got up to."

"I'd  _assume_ you knew that part on your own," K said. "But that wasn't what I meant." She waved her hand at that. "Doesn't matter at this point. We don't have a lot of time left."

Natasha frowned at that. "If you didn't want a family with him, why marry him?"

"That's  _not_ what I said," K replied, frowning right back at her. "We weren't planning on any little ones for a little while longer, that's all." She waved at Natasha to step further into the room. "I know you and I had our differences, professionally - but … if you can get over it, I already am."

There was a long pause before Natasha glanced over to Logan and then let her shoulders drop. "I'm not ready to trust blindly," she said, "but I will give you the benefit of the doubt. For his sake."

"That's fine," K said. "That's why I'm letting it go, honestly."

Logan was watching both of them with Scott, though when they came to their soft agreement, the two men shared a look and stepped deeper into the room. "Now that  _that's_ more or less settled," Logan said in a breath before he stole a kiss with K and then took a seat. "You gotta have questions, Tash."

"Of course. And you will answer them over dinner," Natasha said with a nod. "Starting with how you met."

"Just how you'd imagine," Logan said with an understated smirk.

"I'm sure there was danger involved," she said. "Now, tell me, please. You can't dangle your whole family like this and leave me with half a story!"

Logan and K shared a look, but it was Scott that answered her question. "She saved us both from Weapon X," he said, picking up that part of a story was going to get Natasha rolling - and amuse his parents.

"And what were they doing coming after you?" Natasha said. She paused and pointed Logan's way. "You, I understand. But you are barely old enough to be considered an adult."

"Do you really think they care about that?" K asked. "He's powerful. They didn't know how powerful until that night, though." She gave Scott a fond smile. "Neither did I, for that matter ... but you make a mean latte."

Natasha let out a long sigh and then hit Logan in the arm. "Are you really going to make me get all of my information in bits and pieces like this?"

"I thought that's how you were used to hearing things," Logan defended with his best innocent expression, and when Natasha gave him a withering look, he started to chuckle and gave her a reasonable but terse breakdown of what had happened.

By the end of it, she was shaking her head - though she was smiling Logan's way. "You always have had a talent for finding the best kinds of trouble."

"I don't know about that," he said. "But it seems to be workin' out alright so far."

Natasha nodded and then gave his arm an affectionate squeeze. "Well, then. Where will I be staying?"

"Across the hall from Mom and Dad," Scott said. "I can show you where you'll be, if you'd like. Give you the lay of the land, too."

Natasha smiled his way genuinely. "Please."

When Scott got up, he was sure to pick up her bags for her and then wait for her to join him. He gave her a crooked sort of smile and simply started to lead the way, pointing out the areas of the house she'd need to know for however long she stuck around. And, of course, when they got to the room, he set her bags down on the bed and let out a breath. "I'm a few doors down on the other side. All things considered, we wanted to give Dad a little room away from the rest of the house if we could, so … most of this wing is quiet."

Natasha smiled at that. "It's nice to see someone else knows him well enough to care for him."

Scott shrugged and rubbed the back of his neck. "He doesn't seem to realize how  _many_ people do."

"It's a talent," she agreed with a laugh as she sat down on the end of her bed. "Thank you, Scott. It was nice to meet you."

Scott smiled at her at first but then tipped his head as he watched her. "You're not disappearing on him already, are you?"

"No," she said. She watched him and then smiled. "You are perfectly suited to him, aren't you?" she teased. "Are you entirely sure he didn't cook you in a lab? There  _were_ experiments like that, you know."

Scott paused and frowned at that. "I actually  _didn't_ know that …" Scott shook his head lightly. "But … I think we do alright. We watch out for each other, and that's a big part of it, right?"

Natasha nodded. "When I met him, do you know what name I gave him?"

Scott shook his head at that, but he was already smiling, expecting to hear something endearing.

" _Malen'kiy dyadya,_ " said said. "It means 'little uncle'."

Scott's smile brightened up at that. "It fits," he said, nodding.

"Then you should know how much I consider it to be true," Natasha said. "I said I would come with him and meet his family. He  _is_ family to me. That, even if it is the only reason, means I won't leave without saying goodbye."

Scott's eyebrows went up at that. "Then I hope you stick around to meet my little sister when she shows up. Dad couldn't be more happy to have a girl of his own."

Natasha smiled wider. "Oh, it's a girl?"

Scott nodded, smiling proudly. "Yeah, it's a long story, but … we know for sure, and Dad's getting his little girl."

"Then I will definitely be there."

"I don't think it'll be too long," Scott said, then paused. "And … honestly … we could probably use some back up." He looked over his shoulder to the empty hallway, then dropped his voice to almost a whisper. "We've got someone after us, you know. And I'm sure he's going to show up sooner than later to snatch mom and the baby."

Natasha narrowed her eyes at that. "Is this the department?"

Scott shook his head seriously. "No, this is something else entirely," he said. "And that's not even counting Sabretooth, either … who, may or may not be with the department, depending on how much of a snit he's in, apparently."

Natasha let out a derisive noise. "He's never going to be better than Logan, and he'll never accept that."

"He's been killing the women Dad's been in love with for years, apparently," Scott said softly.

"Well, that's going to stop," Natasha said. "And this other person - give me a name and I'll look into him."

"I don't know; to be honest, that's how they got caught up with him," Scott admitted. "He was ah … Dad rescued me from him, and they set out to put an end to him… it's really a mess. The guy has more powers than anyone that even the professor's seen."

"Well, it's a good thing I've been trained for decades in how to deal with those more powerful than me. Name, Scott. Let me at least help."

"I'll do one better if you promise not to go looking," Scott said. "I can let you into mom's research."

For a brief moment, it was clear Natasha was warring with her desire to  _do_ something and her curiosity. But finally, slowly, she nodded. "Alright. But on one condition," she said, holding up a finger. "If I find in the course of that research that I  _can_ destroy him? I will break this agreement in a heartbeat and leave his body for you to find."

Scott held her gaze for a long moment. "That won't do you any good," Scott said slowly. "Dad killed him at least twice, and as far as we can tell, he's not going to go down anywhere near that easily, but you're more than welcome to join the fight."

"Ah." Natasha nodded. "That is more complicated. Alright, let me see what we can do." She gave him a little smile. "After all, your father could use a helping hand sometimes, as loathe as he is to admit it."

"No he'd never admit it," Scott said with a smile. "Ever. To anyone."

"Then it's a good thing we know better," Natasha said.

Scott smiled at her. "It'd be fine if Mom wasn't the same way," Scott said. "Getting anything out of the two of them when they're in the same mindset? Forget it."

"I'm not entirely surprised," Natasha said, shaking her head.

Scott let out a breath of a laugh. "I'll go get you the computer," he said. "She 'liberated' it from Stark when we were there last."

"I may yet decide to like her then," Natasha teased.

"I know you two had your moments - whatever they were - but she's completely head over heels for my Dad," Scott promised. "She wasn't really even that mad when she found out about the baby. She still growls when the topic of the drugs come up ... but ... you'll see. It's in the files." Scott held up one hand and then darted off to his room to grab the computer - where he'd left it after doing some digging of his own. When he returned, he handed her the already open laptop. "The password to get in is 'fightmeTony,' all one word; only Tony is capitalized."

Natasha smirked at that as she got settled in. "Please tell me you share a sense of humor with the rest of the family."

Scott shrugged. "From time to time." He smiled wider. "I did blow up his car, though."

"Tony's?" Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Scott nodded. "Wasn't intentional at the time, but I wasn't exactly sorry about it either. Especially when it kinda helped get Mom and Dad together."

Natasha smirked over her shoulder at him as she got to work. "Make sure they never forget it."

Scott smiled on his way out. "I think it's better if they think it was all their idea."

"If you say so," Natasha said, smirking to herself as the door closed and Scott left her to her work. Though she had to say - if this was Logan's family, she rather liked them.


	28. Picking Sides

K and Logan had gotten up early, and K had gently roused Scott and Jean from where they'd been tucked in together on the couch.

"I'm serious. Even if it's just for the morning, go try out a bed. If you're nervous, one of you can stay on the covers, but … seriously. Get some coffee and go to bed," K told them softly.

Jean was redder than Scott was - but then, it looked like she was more awake than he was. "We weren't-" she started to say, but she cut herself off at the look on K's face.

"Early morning wakeup," Scott said, trying to explain what Jean couldn't.

"Whatever you want to call it, I'm sure it would be much better. In. A. Bed."

Both Jean and Scott looked a bit redder at that, though they did at least have the sense to gather themselves up and get off the couch. But they weren't  _quite_ out of K's earshot when Scott must have snagged Jean around the waist, because K heard the delighted laugh as well as the shift in their footsteps as they redirected from the kitchen toward the stairs back up to their rooms.

She waited for them to head off before she picked up the blanket they'd been using and took it for herself on her way back to the kitchen. There was a cold snap that was hammering their section of upstate New York, and though she hated to admit it … she was feeling a little cold. So, by the time she settled in with her coffee, it was really just a matter of time before Natasha came down for coffee herself.

Natasha hadn't lost sleep for the same reasons Jean and Scott had - entirely. Jean and Scott had been slowly blending their subconscious minds together to the point that they were never entirely sure who was dreaming what, especially now that they had  _both_ been under Sinister's knife at some point. But it  _was_ Sinister that had kept Natasha awake - only because she had been researching the man ever since she heard from Scott that he had taken a keen interest in bothering Logan and his newfound family.

Her head was still ringing with everything she'd learned, so she wasn't in the mood to dance around it as she sat down heavily beside K and narrowed her eyes at her. "This is patently unacceptable," she said without any preamble. "This so-called scientist can  _not_ be allowed to interfere with your family in this way. It has to stop."

"Right. Because we're just letting it happen without a fight," K said dryly. "Sounds like any one of us." K frowned at her for a long moment. "Who told you, why are you so …  _invested,_ and have you been up all night?"

Natasha waved a hand in irritation. "I was getting to know your son, and the more I heard about what's been happening, the less I liked it -  _especially_ when he made me swear not to go after this  _person_ alone."

"Oh, so you're going to come swooping in to try and single-handedly save everyone?" K's tone was so clearly sarcastic there was no way it could have been misinterpreted.

Natasha gave her a dry look. "I'm going to  _help_ ," she said. "Like it or not, I care about Logan."

"I just have a hard time believing why you'd bother after all this time. Two-way street and all."

"He told you our history?"

"Of course he did," K said, frowning at her. "We don't hide things from each other." She leaned forward. "So he knows  _our_ history too, Widow."

Natasha tipped her head up slightly but didn't rise to the bait. "I only ask because, if you knew the history between us, you'd know it's one of the few  _good_ memories I have. That alone is precious to me. You can understand that,  _da_?"

"Absolutely," K agreed. "But in all fairness, his memories of you don't reflect what your life has been like since then. He hasn't had a way to know what your intentions or desires were in all the time you were out doing what you do. But as far as the old stories and history, I've even seen the picture that Steve has in his lockbox. Loved the curls. You should let them grow out again."

"You and Logan both commented on my hair," Natasha said, shaking her head. "And this even after I dyed it back to red before we came to this school."

"It's not the same red," K defended. "Close, but not the same - and whatever you did to straighten it … it doesn't really suit you."

Again, Natasha made that same little irritated waving gesture. "It really doesn't matter."

"But it does," K said, putting her coffee cup down. "You  _all_ want to rely on that time - way back when. And I don't have a thing against it, but I promise you, those two guys would get such peace to see the  _natural_ you. All grown up."

"I already told Logan I had to be blonde for my last mission. I can't grow back my hair at the rate he does - or you, for that matter."

"I know. And I'm not knocking  _the job_. You can pull off a believable blonde," K agreed. "I'm just pointing out that they'd love for you to stay long enough to see the real you again." She shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me one way or another - unless, of course, you leaving screws them up. Then I'll find you."

"I was under the impression I could stay as long as I liked - and especially as long as it takes for the Room to move on."

K nodded at that before she got to her feet. "Do you have any friends in the Room? Because I have a way to deal with them that the boys don't know about yet."

Natasha shrugged, not seeing a reason to hide it as she said, "I don't think so. I know there  _was_ someone, but I have no idea where he is or what happened to him."

K made her way over to get more coffee as she thought it over. "Does he have a name or a codename?"

"James." Natasha shrugged. "That's all I have."

K nodded at that. "He really shouldn't be too hard to find. They never did put much stock in men."

"For a reason."

"Well, I still have my ways to get in," K told her. "I'll figure it out, put Steve on getting him out if I can pinpoint him." She stopped for a moment to take a long sip of her coffee. "Who am I kidding,  _when_ I find him."

"So you're just going to single-handedly swoop in and make all the problems disappear."

"Yes." K said with a little smirk.

"You're full of it."

"My plan to get you to walk away from them worked, didn't it? Do you really think Logan's first thought was 'beach'?"

Natasha narrowed her eyes at that. " _You_ set the location?"

"He cares about you, but I profiled you. I'm the one that knows how you think, where you'd go to relax.… There is a difference."

Natasha looked thoughtful for a moment as she considered K. "And his first choice…?"

"Don't you know?" K asked, looking almost interested.

"I'm curious," Natasha said, "to see how much he's changed."

K smiled lightly. "I doubt he's changed much. His first choice was a nice hidden away cabin somewhere there is snow - or to go back to Madripoor. Sentimental when he wants to be."

Natasha smiled outright. "You know," she said softly, "after finding out he has a wife, a son, and a daughter on the way, it's a relief to know at least  _something_ is the same."

"Natasha, he's always wanted that. Everyone just stood in his way before. He would have adopted  _you_ in a heartbeat if he'd had the opportunity."

"I know." Natasha's smile fell, and she shook her head. "That's why I'm going to help him defend this family. He can't lose anymore."

"Well, no offense, but if it hasn't been doable with the world's most powerful telepath, a pretty good cross section of powered up individuals, most of the Avengers … not to mention Logan himself? I'm thinking it's a losing battle."

"Every battle you don't fight is a loss," Natasha pointed out.

"Didn't say I wouldn't fight," K replied. "But I'm not blind enough to not be able to see when I'm out of my depth."

"Then it seems to me you can't afford to turn down any help."

K had her chin resting in the palm of her hand as she sat back at the table and watched Natasha. "Which I'm game for - unless that help ends up getting someone else he loves into more trouble - or killed. Which would destroy him."

"You know what I'm capable of. I'm not going to get myself killed. Professional pride aside, you should know better than that."

"You read the files," K said. "You know what I'm capable - and Logan too - and yet.…" She gestured openly. "That's actually how I got into this position. So. You tell me how reasonable it is to be concerned."

"So reasonable, in fact, that  _I_ came down here concerned for  _you_." Natasha gestured. "Imagine that."

K let out a dry laugh at that. "Please. You're only worried about the baby."

"Yes."

"Not the same."

"For practical purposes, for the moment, it is."

"Forgive me if that's not a comfort. Especially seeing as that's Essex's only concern at the moment, too."

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Please. I thought you appreciated honestly. I'm not going to pretend you're anything beyond Logan's wife and the mother of his child until I can trust you." She tipped her chin up. "You aren't the only one protective of him."

"And that trust will probably never happen. I know." K shook her head and pushed her mug away. "He'll be in from his run soon. Enjoy your time. I'm going back upstairs. Maybe I'll look through my contacts to find your friend."

"And I'll continue to look through my sources to look for this scientist."

"Different circles," K called back. "If your sources didn't have anything that he could use to further his research, they won't know anything about him."

"You'd be surprised," Natasha called back. "Not all my sources are from the Room."

"So go ahead and surprise me," K said dryly.

At that, Natasha simply rolled her eyes again as she sat back with her coffee and watched K go up to her room. She was fairly sure she liked K better when they were enemies.

* * *

At that point, it was a familiar sight for anyone living in Westchester to see an Avenger or two (or three) coming up the long driveway of the school. The Avengers had spent enough time with the X-Men that they were honestly becoming  _friends_ , whether that was Jean and Jan with their fashion talk or Warren and Tony and the strange sort of understanding that happens between the sons of horrible-but-rich fathers.

This time, it was Jan and Clint - and the kids that saw them coming didn't have to be telepaths to know that Jan was halfway dragging a clearly nervous Clint. For as much as Clint was  _obviously_ twitterpated, he was also well-aware that Natasha hadn't come looking for him once she was back in the States. And he was still young enough that the nerves were almost a given when he was this deeply involved.

And it was clear he hadn't been expecting to see Natasha seated so comfortably at the dinner table, chatting easily with Scott, with Logan on her other side. She had slipped almost seamlessly into the middle of what had seemed to Clint like an unbreakable family dynamic, and he honestly wasn't sure what reaction to have.

Finally, he cleared his throat. "Hey, Tash."

Natasha's head came up, and for a moment, Clint felt that same thrill he  _always_ felt when she looked at him. It was stupid, he knew, but he couldn't help but fall for her all over again. Just from one simple look.

And then she simply nodded his way. "Hello, Clint," she said before going back to the food on her plate, since it was clear from Scott's expression that slipping back into conversation wasn't an option for her.

Clint blinked, waiting for something else, but when it was painfully obvious she wasn't going to pick up the thread of the conversation, he tried again. "I missed you."

She looked up again, and some of the spark was gone. He didn't know what had changed, but whatever it was, that playful smile that had always tugged at the very corner of her expression was missing, replaced by something that looked a lot more calculated. "It's good to see you again," she said at last. "I'm glad you aren't still in jail."

It was an olive branch, and Clint knew it. He swallowed once and nodded. "Yeah, me too," he said quietly before he simply excused himself. Not that anyone was going to stop him. Everyone that had seen that knew a train wreck when they saw one.

He made it about halfway down the driveway before there was a strange sound and an  _awful_ smell, and the next thing he knew, Kurt was standing beside him with a hand on his arm. "You look like you need a beer," he informed Clint. "Or perhaps several. I'm not one to judge."

"Yeah," Clint said in a breath. "Yeah, that… sounds good."

Kurt nodded and didn't ask permission before he simply teleported them both out of there.

* * *

It hadn't been too long after Clint and Kurt left to drink a little that Steve and Logan broke out their own round of drinks with Natasha - and the three of them plus Scott and Jean were spending a lot of time in the game room shooting pool and reminiscing. Of course, Scott was just enchanted by the stories - and the clear memories that made the retelling all the more vivid, and Jean really just wanted to be near him … but that was a pretty good audience for the three of them to get wound up and have a little fun.

Of course, not everyone was all that wrapped up in it - and the fact was that K and Natasha weren't going to have more than a cease fire for long, K was sure. And though the stories were charming, she'd heard them already and she knew Natasha truly didn't like her - a fact that was made more glaringly obvious to both ferals when she couldn't quite relax with K nearby. Considering how long Loan and Steve had wondered about Natasha, K didn't want to bring the room down while they were enjoying themselves, so she did the only thing she felt she  _could_ do. She took a moment to kiss Logan's cheek, which earned her a clearly concerned look at her leaving - Logan's silent request for her to stick around - before she squeezed his hand and simply headed out to the backside of the house to get away from everyone. The further she got into the unexpected pregnancy, the harder it was for her to be around crowds anyhow. And strangers … no thanks.

The night air had a bit of a chill to it, so on her way out, she was sure to snatch Logan's flannel shirt, and once she was away from the noise and the lights, it was a little more tolerable all around to just … wrap the flannel around herself and be there in the quiet. But even that couldn't last forever.

She heard Kurt and Clint before she actually saw them, because both of them were drunk. Kurt was a much happier drunk than Clint was, though that might have been because Clint was already depressed going into the drinking session, but whatever the case, it was clear Kurt was trying to support Clint as they wandered back up to the house together - since a drunk teleport hadn't gotten them inside as Kurt had planned.

"They're still telling stories," K called out to them. "So you didn't miss anything."

"Ah, well, to be honest, I was going to take this one to the guest room and let him pass out," Kurt said, indicating Clint. "I think he might have had a little too much." His accent was much thicker than usual as he spoke, and his smile was wider - and his tail was moving a lot more freely than the last time she saw him.

"Sounds nice," K said, wrapping the flannel around herself a little tighter.

"Hey, but…" Clint peered to K with a frown. "Hey, but why're you out here?"

"Oh. The redhead doesn't like me, so I'm just … giving them space." K shrugged her shoulders up a little higher. "Pretty sure I bring down the room  _anyhow_ like this and I  _don't_ like to be here I'm not wanted."

Clint nodded at that, a few more times than he meant to. "She doesn't like me either," he said, detaching from Kurt to sit down beside K - also a bit more heavily than he meant to.

"Well, no accounting for taste then," K said.

"Liked me fine when it was post-near-death sex," Clint grumbled, leaning over to rest his head on her shoulder.

K rested her head on Clint's. "Yeah, some girls are like that. She's just worried about our creepy doc getting a hold of the baby. Or Logan. Or Scott. Which is fine, but damn."

"For the record, I don't want you gettin' grabbed either," Clint said, snuggling right into her without any regard for any personal space.

"Well that's one of you anyhow," she muttered, though she didn't stop him from snuggling up. It was nice to have someone outside of the immediate circle being friendly. "Pretty sure it's just a thing that will happen though."

"Well crap," Clint said. "That sucks."

"Not really your problem, sweetheart." K reached up to pat his head.

"Yeah, but I like you," Clint said with a crooked smile. "You helped me become an Avenger."

"You did that all on your own," K argued. "Sweet little blond hero."

"Had help," he insisted.

"Mmhmm," K agreed. "Cap."

"Yeah, and you," Clint said. "I know I got you on my side. Know you helped smooth Stark." He gave her a kiss on the cheek. "It's a good thing you're married, because you're a good friend and apparently, I screw up girls I sleep with so… yay wedding ring." He even went so far as to twirl a finger in the air - to the obvious amusement of Kurt nearby.

"Well I screw up guys, so count your _self_ as safe," K chuckled. "And I don't believe you screw up the girls you sleep with. They were screwed up when you got there."

"I… would argue, but my head is fuzzy," Clint said.

"Sweetheart, you can't argue with me on that," K said with a sigh. "I profiled her years ago, and the same profile holds true now. I know what's in her head. You … walked into that."

"What, gorgeous, leggy, smart, powerful woman? Yeah. What a trap," Clint said.

"Custom built trap, I tell you," K promised. "You know we were on competing 'teams' at one point. I drove. Her. Nuts."

"I genuinely don't know which of you would be worse to go up against," Clint said with a smirk that fell when he considered it. "Guess I only got one out of two on my side…"

"The nastier of the two, though," K said with a little growl before she had to shift a little bit. "More cranky right now anyhow. Little punk shifting and kicking …"

"Ooh, hey, I got a trick that - don't laugh, okay? - it totally worked on the pregnant animals at the circus."

K shook her head and rolled her eyes at that, well aware that Clint had no idea that was exactly what  _all_ the creeps and bad guys called her, both behind her back and to her face. "Why not."

Clint picked his head up just enough to grin crookedly at her before he started in with some songs that were obviously  _not_ lullabies, though they were fun to listen to. "Alice, where are you going? Upstairs to take a bath… Her legs are like two toothpicks. Her neck like a gira-a-a-a-a-affe." He was drunkenly embellishing until Kurt was on the ground, clutching his stomach and laughing. "Alice turned on the water. Alice unplugged the plug." His eyes went wide. "Oh my goodness, oh my soul! There goes Alice down the hole! Alice! Where are you going?" He grinned. "Glub. Glub. Glub."

By that time, Kurt was in stitches, and though Clint was brilliant red, Kurt called out, " _Das ist perfekt!_ "

"You have a lovely voice," K said, grinning at him as she took a hold of Clint's arm.

"Nice of you to lie," Clint said, still very red.

"I will  _never_ lie to you," K said, still grinning at him. "That was the best thing I've heard all day." She rested her hand on her stomach. "And she likes your singing."

At that, Clint brightened up considerably. "Yeah? Told you it works!"

"It's totally the singer," K promised.

" _Ja, noch ein,_ " Kurt agreed. "Once more, yes? Or another?"

K leaned her head on Clint's shoulder. "Please?"

"Okay, well, I know a few other ones… Kinda like the first one," Clint admitted, and when K simply nodded, he shrugged.

" _There once was a farmer who took a young miss_

_In back of a barn where he gave her a-_

_Lecture on horses and chickens and eggs_

_And told her that she had such beautiful-_

_Manners that suited a girl of her charms_

_And that he would like her to take in his-_

_Washing and ironing and so as she did_

_They could get married and raise lots of-_

_Sweet violets, sweeter than the roses._

_Covered all over from head to toe in sweet violets!"_

Of course, he didn't get too far into the song before he'd attracted a bit of attention - first Jean and Scott had drifted toward the singing, and not long behind him came Steve, Logan, and Natasha - all three of them curious as to what was going on - and not one of them were expecting what they found either.

" _Do, I use to buy my beer._

_Re, the guy who pours my beer (thanks, Ray)_

_Mi, the one who drinks my beer_

_Fa, a long way to the John_

_So, I need another beer_

_La, I think I'll have a beer_

_Ti, no thanks I'll have a beer!_

_And that brings us back to Do."_

Of course, by that point, Kurt was completely inconsolable, on the ground and clutching his stomach from laughing, though when he saw Logan, he did have enough wherewithal to wave at him. "Join the fun,  _mein Freund._ These are the best lullabies for your little one!"

"I think they're fitting and perfect," K promised, leaning a little heavier on Clint.

And though K was clearly in a better mood and perfectly happy partly curled up with Clint, Logan couldn't help but turn slowly to give Natasha a raised eyebrow look without any commentary needed. Not that it would stop him, of course. "That's somethin' I didn't think I'd walk into."

Clint had sort of trailed off with the sudden increase in his audience. "I… ah… it … worked on the lions?" he offered.

"And it worked on the little one," K agreed. She pulled him over a little to kiss his cheek. "Thank you, Clint."

"Yeah, sure, no problem," Clint said quickly. "I've got a few of those laying around if you need 'em."

K was still smiling at him as she waved the newcomers away. "Get lost. You're no use to the little one. She only likes Clint now."

"Oh, come on," Scott said with a disbelieving laugh. "I'm her  _brother_."

"And you haven't sung to her. Clint wins." K turned toward Jean for a moment. "You can hear her. Tell him. I'm not wrong."

Jean bit her lip and shrugged her shoulders up. "She  _does_ like his singing …"

"I feel so replaceable right now," Scott said, shaking his head - but clearly laughing.

"We're all replaceable to some people," K said, though she was sure not to direct it to anyone, though Natasha let out a little hum and turned to leave. "Sad, harsh, but true."

Scott was smirking hard, though he did at least wait until Natasha was gone before he said K's way, "Shame. I think she was starting to get along with me."

"She likes you," K said. "But she likes Clint's singing more right now."

"She  _does_ like it when you talk to her," Jean confirmed, giving Scott's arm a little squeeze. "Maybe you could sing to her…." Her eyes were twinkling just enough to get Scott to blush, too.

"I just wonder if Clint is a contender for the top spot for singer now," K teased, smirking crookedly at Logan.

"Don't count on it," Logan drawled out.

"I have vague memories of Scott singing, and I can confirm Clint's better," Alex said as he and a few of the other kids poked into the crowd.

"I was alluding to Logan's singing," K laughed.

"And my singing's not  _that_ bad," Scott defended, getting a solid laugh out of Alex.

"Alex," K called out. "Clint was headed to a guest room before he got sidetracked. Would you show him around, please?"

"Sure you don't want to keep him for serenading purposes?" Alex laughed.

"I'm going to bed," K said. "She's happy - or settled at least, so … I think I'll live for now."

"Oh good, because I'm starting to get  _pretty_ tired," Clint said, leaning a little more on K now that he had nothing to do but start to fall asleep and not sing.

"It's about that time anyhow," Logan said as he made his way over and offered Clint his hand to pull him upright. "Coffee in the mornin', if you can wake up."

"Sure I can," Clint said, though he was leaning on Logan now. "I'm the  _amazing_ Hawkeye. No force can stop me - except women. That's - that's a force. That can stop me." He blinked. "But no other!" he said, trying to recover quickly.

"That'll stop damn near anyone, kid," Logan chuckled.

"What a force," Clint agreed fervently.

Logan was sure to steal a quick kiss from K as he and Alex got Clint headed to the right room. "Did you have a nice night?" K asked Jean.

Jean smiled a little wider and nodded. "Plenty of entertainment," she said, even as Scott wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Oh, I'm sure. Especially for you," K agreed as she stretched out a little bit. "Sweet dreams, kids. I'm … going to sleep in tomorrow, I think."

"Sweet dreams," Jean called out, already pulling on Scott's arm as they headed upstairs as well so Jean could fill him in on all that she knew telepathically to  _add_ to the drama they'd just watched unfold.


	29. Extended Family (Sort Of)

Contrary to what K had said, she was up early the next morning - and she was quick to grab a coffee cup on the run. After that, she flat out left Xavier's in the dust before the rest of the kids could even get up. She had places to go, after all - and she knew that she needed to get moving before everyone got in the middle of her plans.

Of course, by the time she got to New York, the coffee there was fresh and just done brewing at the Avenger's headquarters, and K had no trouble sliding in like she was supposed to be there. She'd barely gotten her fresh cup of coffee when Jan made her way into the kitchen to do the same. Which only had K smiling to herself, because she  _knew_ Jan would be a wonderful tag-team partner. "Good morning, soon-to-be Mrs. Pym."

Jan positively  _beamed_ at K and then rushed over to hug her. "Hello currently-Mrs.-Wolverine!" she sang out. "You didn't tell me you were coming or I'd have totally prepared!"

"Well … I had a  _craving_ , and I know you're exactly the person to help me out."

"Yes, absolutely!" Jan promised quickly. "What do you need?"

"One Happy Hawkeye." She closed one eye and tipped her head. "With a necessary side of One Happy Stark."

"Oh, well, you just named my two best friends on the team, so… What's the plan?"

"You know we got the Widow out of Russia, right?" K said, though she simply continued as Jan nodded and picked up her mug. "Well … she's got her sights on Tony. And I don't  _like_ Tony with someone that's tried to kill him."

"Um. Me neither." Jan made a face. "And … I dunno. Didn't she ferociously stomp on Clint's heart? Doesn't seem fair to turn him over to her again."

"Well … here's the thing," K said before she bit her lip. "The scents don't line up with her actions. She was cold to him — but the nose doesn't lie. Especially right now when I'm cranked up past twenty."

"So…" Jan tipped her head to the side. "What, she... I mean, I'm all for romance and all, but even  _I_ can tell Clint's cute, so just because she knows a hottie when she sees one…"

"I think she'd be more open to not being a total idiot if she wasn't shooting for the ego catch," K said. "And as much as  _I_  like Tony for all the  _right_ reasons, I can totally see where a lot of girls would go for him for the  _wrong_ reasons."

"You really have no idea," Jan said with a little giggle.

"Trophy Tony."

"I'm calling him that from now on. No take-backs," Jan said, bursting into honest laughter.

"He'll love it." K smiled a little more warmly. "So … what is Pepper still waiting for?"

Jan leaned forward, a troublemaking spark in her eyes. "Um, I have no idea. I think she just wants him to make the move."

"He's … oh, my God, he's  _tried_ to be subtle with her, I've seen it. It's  _tragic_ ," K said. "I don't know how yet, but I know that needs to be wrapped up either way - and then we can see where the other one falls. Maybe Clint will wise up. He was singing to the baby last night, by the way."

"He was  _not_ ," Jan said. "I go talk to your sweet little Russian X-Man for  _five minutes_ ….!"

"He was totally singing to her, clear as a bell, hilarious - and she loved it."

"Okay, but do we  _have_ to help him get set up with the conniving Russian spy, because a guy like that…"

"Absolutely not. But … I don't want Tony to go for a distraction when he's still clearly smitten. He needs to pursue exactly what he's afraid of." K tapped her fingers on her stomach. "But … he's probably going to have to lose her before he pulls his head out. Has she gotten other lucrative offers? I mean … maybe he's holding back because he's scared to mess them up professionally too."

"Oh, it would have to be something  _big_ ," Jan said, her eyes wide. "She  _loves_  - well.  _Tony_. But she likes the job too!"

"So … we should probably make sure that Tony  _knows_ she's getting other offers first. He'll probably have a small cardiac event." K said with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, totally. And you know she's got them, too. Big names, big dollars… ooh!" Jan clapped her hands together. "Oh, a designer friend of mine - cutest little-redheaded  _lamb_ \- she hangs out with me and Pepper sometimes. If she knew the whole story, she'd  _so_ be happy to have Pepper if she decides to leave Tony after all, too!"

"Good. If Tony can't at least admit it to himself - and  _her_ , then Pepper really doesn't need to be around when the Russian comes in." K nodded at that and turned to smile at Jarvis as he smirked at the conspiracy going on. "You won't let Tony know we were talking about him, will you? Because I'm not entirely convinced that the Russian isn't just lining up to take another shot."

"I'm afraid I've gone temporarily deaf, all things considered," Jarvis replied.

"That's because Jarvis is the  _best_ ," Jan gushed, blowing a kiss toward the good butler. "Mwah!" With that, she spun on her heels and waved over her shoulder. "Off to fix things. Toodles!"

"It's a little attempt to keep him from the assassin," K promised Jarvis. "You know as well as I do that he is pining hard for Pepper … and as far as Romanoff goes, I don't trust that woman."

"To be perfectly frank, Mrs. Howlett, neither do I," Jarvis said without breaking form at all. "Of course, that may be related to the many times I have endured the aftermath of her attempts to kill our mutual friend…"

"Which I'm not really able to help deter otherwise right now," K said with a little frown. "Or I would."

"You needn't worry on that account," Jarvis told her with a quiet twinkle in his eyes. "You aren't the only one keeping an eye out."

"That honestly makes me feel a little better," K told him. "Thank you, for the coffee, by the way. I think I'll go see how Tony's doing today."

"Anytime, Mrs. Howlett."

She made her way over and kissed his cheek on the way out. "Sweetest man around."

Jarvis simply chuckled at that. "If you say so."

* * *

While Logan was catching up with Steve and Natasha and K was occupied with her own little project, Scott and Jean decided to take advantage of the downtime (after a brief mission with the team that left them slightly singed from one of Magneto's lackeys with fire powers) to actually go out on a date. Away from the house.

Of course, all things considered, they were incredibly  _careful_ about their date, taking their comms with them and making sure to ask Ororo to call for help if they weren't back the next morning… since they  _did_ plan to at least sleep in the institute. Eventually. And they didn't want to set an earlier time - not just because they wanted to spend the time alone together but because they knew Kurt had been hoping to spend some time with her too.

So, with those precautions in place, they decided to go out to dinner and a movie. It wasn't a  _creative_ date, but since normal  _was_ creative for them, they were actually enjoying themselves.

Of course, it was still cold enough outside that even after the movie, they decided to go grab some hot chocolate to warm up - and also because they weren't exactly ready to turn in.

Scott had been thinking about how to steal a kiss - but Jean beat him there because she could hear him trying  _not_ to think about it so he could surprise her. "Nice try," she teased.

"Just means I get to try again."

"I won't stop you," Jean said with a laugh - and then stole a kiss because  _he_ couldn't see it coming.

Scott couldn't help but grin wider as he returned the favor, sliding his hand into hers - and then pausing to raise both eyebrows. It was just a little thing, but she'd been holding her hot chocolate in her  _other_ hand, so there wasn't a reason for her to be that warm on this side. And it completely killed what he was going to say about offering warm hands to hold.

"Something bothering you?" Jean asked when Scott fell silent.

"Ah … not really," Scott said, though he was frowning. "You have  _very_ warm hands."

"Hot chocolate, remember?" she teased, kissing his cheek. "Or were you really that distracted trying to steal a kiss?"

"Maybe that's it," Scott said with a growing smirk, deciding for the moment that he must have just missed her switching hands when he was distracted thinking of kisses.

"You're pretty distracting yourself, Mr. Summers," Jean said. "Lucky me."

Scott really didn't have a witty response to that - though he was trying to find one. And when it was clear to him it wasn't happening, he darted over to steal a longer, more involved kiss, though he was pretty sure he still hadn't surprised her.

* * *

A few days passed with lots of old stories, old friends, old  _plans_ that never came to pass … and it was pretty clear that Logan was getting tired of all of it and wanted to make some forward progress. He wasn't saying anything to his two old friends, but … the closer they got to his little girl arriving, the more he was getting a driving urge to get his head as cleared out of any triggers and hidden phrases as was humanly possible.

So it really wasn't a surprise to Charles when he slipped away from the crowd one morning after he'd had coffee with K and took his usual seat in Charles' office to get down to business.

It was a hard job, even for Charles, but he wasn't about to tell Logan 'no' when he knew how important it was. Which was how the two of them spent the better part of the rest of that morning with Charles intensely concentrating on working through the damage and hidden triggers.

Of course, they didn't know that Natasha and K had once again had a bit of a misunderstanding - this time without a word spoken. As a result, Natasha found herself looking for Scott or Logan - someone she  _did_ want to talk to. But Scott was working through a simulation in the so-called Danger Room … and she did  _not_ want to go anywhere near either K or Clint … who for some reason kept showing up with Steve and hanging out with K.

So the only thing Natasha could do was wander the halls looking for Logan. She just didn't expect to find him with the  _telepath._  Logan was laid out on the leather couch in Xavier's office, leaning against the arm of the couch with his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes closed as Xavier had his fingers resting on Logan's temples.

" _Chto za chert_ ," Natasha breathed out. "What…?"

"Now is not the best time, Miss Romanova," Charles said almost through gritted teeth.

"Now is an excellent time, considering what telepaths have done to him," she shot back with her eyes narrowed.

"Not if you like his personality or memories intact. Please. I need quiet."

Natasha frowned at that, but because it was  _Logan_ , she simply slid into a seat - and though she was quiet, she was unconsciously leaning forward as she watched for any sign of distress … outside of the obvious, she was seeing in Charles.

It was clear, though, when Charles was done; his entire expression shifted, and he seemed to let out a deep breath before he brought his hands back to his lap. "The large gap between sessions didn't help your progress at all, Logan," Charles said.

"Let me know when you're up to another one," Logan said as he opened his eyes and stretched a little. "I bounce back faster than you do."

"Which is, of course, part of the trouble," Charles agreed.

"Thanks, Charlie," Logan said as he sat up and then got to his feet, only then tipping his head at Natasha. "You been waitin' long, darlin'?"

"Not very," she said, looking between the two of them. "What's going on here?"

"Ol' Charlie's tryin' to get rid of the old triggers and phrases," Logan said. "And … workin' on recoverin' some fried memories."

"And you trust him?" Natasha asked, though her tone had shifted slightly.

"He's doin' alright so far," Logan said with a shrug. "He started out workin' on Scotty."

"Doing what?" Natasha asked.

"For all the diggin' you did, I thought you'd have read that part," Logan said. "Essex had a buncha blocks in the kid's head. Screwin' with memories, powers … you name it, really." He had his hands in his pockets. "K too, but she's more skittish than I am about this."

"Yes, I read about the surgery and the…" Natasha shook her head. "I also read what I could about you. You were  _deeply_ under their control. Are you sure he can undo all that?"

"Nope," Logan said, shaking his head lightly. "But if he can lighten up whatever they did - or break it up enough for me to break it myself - that's good enough."

"Hm." Natasha was watching both of them more carefully now. "I wonder… do you specialize only in this kind of thing, Professor Xavier?"

"No," Charles replied. "But I can see psychic tampering when I come across it. Brainwashing as well leaves its own traces of damage, as well as false memories."

"But it's easier if it's psychic damage?"

"It's easier if it's not one of the  _ferals_ ," Charles said as he let out another weary breath. "There's something about their mutation that makes any telepathic work much harder."

"Then perhaps you could do something for me," Natasha said, meeting Charles' gaze evenly.

"Do you know what the trouble is, Miss Romanova?"

"No, and that  _is_ the trouble," she said. "But if you can help Scott and Logan with memories, you should be able to at least tell me  _why_ I don't remember much from some of my time in the field."

"I'm certain that I could," Charles said before he glanced up at Logan. "But not at this moment. I'm afraid working with Logan or K always takes it out of me."

"I can see how tired you are," Natasha said with a smile. "I'm not a demanding customer; I'll wait my turn. I was just curious to know if you  _could_ tell me why I'm missing time."

Charles gave her a kind smile. "I work with Logan most mornings, or I was before our little break. If you have a free evening, I'm generally back to full speed by then - not that I should need it." He gave Logan a little smirk. "The feral mutation seems to carry a natural and very strong block to psychic interference."

"And all this time, I thought you were just stubborn," Natasha teased.

"Oh, I'm that too," Logan said. "Just means I'm just as stubborn to nosy telepaths as I am for anyone else."

"Perhaps a bit more so," Charles teased.

"Always assume more with Logan," Natasha said, taking Logan's arm.

"What's on your mind, Tash," Logan asked. "You came lookin' for a reason."

She let out a breath. "Your wife is deliberately sabotaging my attempts with Tony Stark," she told him since she knew better than to lie to him.

"She likes him," Logan said.

"She does  _not_ like me," Natasha said.

"Neither one of you're really goin' out of your way to change that either," Logan said. "And she  _does_ like Stark. They have a weird … friendship thing."

"And what about Clint?" Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Don't think I haven't noticed how different he is."

"After you ditched him, she kind of adopted him. Sorta." Logan shook his head. "She let Stark and Cap work on him to pull his head out. Said he wanted to be a hero, and he's been tryin' to do just that." he frowned a little her way. " Don't seem any different to me, though. Same idiot you were runnin' around with."

"He  _was_ an idiot," Natasha said, shaking her head. "But I don't remember him… singing. Or doing anything like he does with K."

Logan tipped his head lightly. "Don't know what to tell you, Tash. We've never been on singin' terms and if he tried to curl up with me like that, I'd probably see how many teeth'd fit down his throat at once." He smirked a little wider. "Same goes for Stark."

Natasha let out a noise at that. "Somehow, she's sabotaging me with both of them."

"Come on," Logan said. "If she is, she didn't say a word to me about it, and she's been more or less hiding the past few weeks when I'm not with her. For as miserable as she is, I don't know how much energy she has to put toward anything like that."

Natasha let out a breath. "I just didn't realize when I agreed to come meet your family it meant my  _own_  romantic entanglements would be destroyed in the process."

"You know she dated Stark a few times, right?" Logan said, trying to see where Natasha was with all that.

"Yes, I got that not only from my mission briefing but from your son - who hated it," Natasha said with a quiet smirk.

"I wasn't too crazy about it at the time, either, but … now they kinda watch out for each other, too." He pointed at her. "Which is why she nailed you and your idiot archer when you came after him."

"I'm very sure I could have killed him if Clint hadn't slowed me down."

"From the tapes I saw?" Logan shook his head. "I don't think so."

"That's not how I remember it," Natasha said.

"Watch the tapes," Logan said. "They haven't been doctored, and it was a hell of a good show, really."

Natasha smirked at him. "Alright," she said. "But only because you wore out the telepath so I couldn't use him," she teased.

"Try wakin' up earlier," Logan said. "I'm gonna start stickin' with K more anyhow. She's pretty miserable. I can wait until the afternoon if you wanna take the mornin'."

"It's a deal."

* * *

K was due in just a couple weeks, which meant she was at the height of her misery. And it seemed everyone was taking it in shifts trying to help her. Scott made sure she and Logan had coffee in the morning, and Jean could always be relied on the make everyone  _leave_ when K got uncomfortable. Which was more and more often.

But eventually, as they got closer to the due date, they opted to go to the Avengers Tower - since the Avengers had better access to a doctor.

Scott and Logan came along, of course, but now, the  _rest_ of the Avengers were treated to the spectacle that was Clint helping out with K. It was just little things, songs that he sang or hummed or stuff that he could actually cook if given enough time and space and  _no_ audience.

 _Looks like someone's bucking to join the family,_ Jean projected to Scott with a smirk as she came to join them - timing her entrance, of course, for when Clint had whipped up something Italian that he swore he learned on the road.

 _If you go by Mom…_ Scott tipped his head toward where K was resting with her head on Logan's shoulder and looking almost sick.  _I think the only thing keeping her from adopting him too is that he's an adult._

 _Oh, I_ know  _that's the only thing stopping her from offering,_ Jean said, laughing quietly as she nuzzled into his side.

_It's actually not terrible. He taught me that Alice song and Mom said that was the quietest night she'd ever had when we got my sister to settle out._

_Aww, you like him too!_ Jean teased.

Scott smirked and stole a kiss.  _That's kind of my whole family, Jean - we're all either on the run from something or runaways or … well, we all need families. The X-Men included. That's the point._

_Oh, so I should tell Bobby to stop getting so annoyed when you get onto him for leaving the empty toilet paper roll because you're 'big brothering' him, right?_

_No, you should tell Bobby to actually replace the thing so he doesn't get blasted out the bathroom window._

Jean couldn't help but laugh at that and snuggled in with him a little more, grinning wider once Clint and the other Avengers were all digging into the meal as well. The X-Men always felt like a little family, especially because they were all so young that they  _needed_ to rely on each other… but the Avengers had a sort of similar feeling at moments like this one.

The dinner was almost over when they had one more guest - and Natasha let herself in quietly. She was wearing a thoughtful expression and clearly in her own head more than she was paying attention to the others - and barely seemed to acknowledge the rest of them.

"You alright, Tasha?" Logan asked when he saw the expression she was wearing.

Natasha glanced up at him and then smiled lightly, grabbing some of the leftovers to come sit close by. "Xavier and I had a longer session than we meant to have," she admitted. "But once we unlocked some things, others kept opening up…" she added, quiet enough that only Logan and K would hear, though K was feigning deafness.

"He let you sleep for a while after?" Logan asked quietly.

Natasha nodded. "I needed the rest," she admitted. "Most of what was locked up involved me stepping out of orders and  _enjoying_ myself, so of course, it was wearing to get to. Typical."

Logan nodded as she spoke. "Least it was just memory wipes."

"Yes." Natasha let out a sigh, though Logan didn't miss when her gaze drifted to Clint. "They took good memories…"

"They always do," Logan said quietly. "And when they don't take 'em, they use 'em for a basis to make somethin' fake."

Natasha nodded, then paused and turned toward K. "James Barnes," she said softly. "That's the name I was looking for."

K picked her head up off of Logan's shoulder to face her and watched her for a long moment. "I'll find him."

"He wasn't always with the Room," Natasha warned. "And… you can't tell Steve what you're doing until you know he's not dead."

K frowned at that. "You want me to keep a secret from ol' blondie?"

"I want you not to get his hopes up and then crush him."

"Fair enough, but I'll need to have a quieter, more private chat with you later about this. I'm just a little wiped out right now."

"Understandably so," Natasha agreed.

"I don't know about that," K said, one eyebrow arched high. "Little more going on than just baby crap right now."

Natasha shrugged and then leaned back in her chair. "Well, I don't know if it will ease your mind at all, but two of your biggest problems are combined. Windsor surfaced again in the Department, likely after that last lab was so thoroughly trashed."

Both Logan and K were frowning at that, but it was Logan that turned her way. "Did you  _work_ for the Department, or was this what you know from counter-spywork?"

"A little bit of both," she admitted. "I was undercover. So yes, I worked for them, in a way."

Logan rolled that over for a long few moments. "Were you in when either of us was?"

"Yes, but we didn't cross over," Natasha said. "I didn't know until later how close we were when I saw her again in the field."

"Nat …" Logan let out a breath at that. "How bad?"

"Very."

Logan nodded his head, but K was simply frowning deeper, clearly trying to place it all where she could.

"Actually, it's been helpful to have Xavier working with me while I work my contacts," Natasha said after a long beat of silence. "As I remember more, I can reach out more… that's how I was able to track down that ridiculous scientist." She narrowed her eyes. "I know he's only using the Department to get back on track after Scott leveled the last house, but really…"

"So he's with the department again," K said in a more dull tone.

"And they know about the pregnancy," Natasha admitted.

"Of course they do," she breathed out.

"He told them - as incentive to play as much as he wanted."

"So he can get more backing, yeah, not really … that's perfect." The tone K was using was one of almost resignation, and it was clearly dragging Logan's outlook down with hers.

"If it helps, I worked a little magic, got the Department looking for you both elsewhere on the assumption that you would want to have your baby away from the crowd." Natasha gestured around the Tower. "It's not an unbelievable assumption."

"You should have sent them to Finland," K said. "Then they could fight with the Russians on turf issues."

Natasha smirked. "Yes, but remember, as far as my contacts know, I'm still  _with_ the Russians and they just wouldn't believe it. Now, someplace in Canada where the mountains still have plenty of snow…"

"You trying to tell me that the Russians aren't still trying to get a hold of either of us too?" K asked.

"They are, but if they had, they certainly wouldn't 'let' me leak it to the Department in an attempt to get them to do the dirty work while I come in to recover you once you're both down." Natasha shrugged. "My contact is competitive and thinks everyone else operates that way."

But that honestly had K shrinking down a bit more.

"You feeling alright?" Clint called out across the table. "I thought you wanted Italian."

"I'm just …I'm tired," K said, sure to give him a little smile before she turned to give Logan a little kiss and squeezed his knee. "I think I'm going to try and find some quiet." It took her a moment to get her balance under control and a moment later, K simply headed off to curl up in her room.

"She doesn't have a whole lot of hope this will work out anyhow," Logan told Natasha quietly.

"The baby is healthy, isn't she?" Natasha said. "That's all that matters - the rest? We'll destroy anyone who comes near them."

"For as depressed as she is?" Logan said. "No, there's more to it than just getting through the baby stuff." He shook his head. "There's heavy metal poisoning from the skeleton and the Essex crap, and that doesn't touch the triggers or who knows what that jackass said to her when no one was around."

"Logan, I hope you take this the right way… I don't care for your wife but even I want that man dead and suffering every second of it."

"Just imagine how you'd feel if you liked her," Logan said dryly.

"About how Scott feels, I'd imagine," Natasha said. "If he didn't have that sweet girlfriend, he'd be a mess of nerves."

"I want it to work out with her, Nat."

"I know," Natasha said. "That's why I'm trying so hard to help. And really, the Department will be searching that area of Canada for another few weeks… That should at least buy you until the baby gets here, and then she'll be healed enough to help fight."

Logan smirked at that and turned her way. "Been around many women after they give birth, Tash?"

"Actually, yes. Pregnancy can be an excellent tool in espionage."

"How many of those girls were in a mindset like her?"

Natasha frowned. "I… a few," she said. "Not everyone was pleased with carrying a mark's child, you know."

"It's a little different than that," Logan said. "I'm not her mark, for one." He paused and turned to look down the way K had left. "I'm watching her close."

"So's your son," Natasha said, tipping her head toward Scott. "One of the first things he told me when I got to Westchester was to get me on board to keep her and the baby safe." She smiled. "You have him, you have Clint, you have me…. You'll weather this."

"Oh, I always do," Logan shot back with a smirk. "It's her I'm worried about. She's got a long history of panic and run. Or … that's what she remembers, anyhow." He gestured to where K had disappeared. "Don't bother lookin' in the files. It's not there."

"Then if need be, I'll stop her. Let her hate me; she already does. But you deserve to be happy."

"She don't hate you, Tash," Logan said, shaking his head. "If she did, she wouldn't be offerin' to help find  _Bucky._ "

"Mm." Natasha shook her head, though she let the argument drop.

"I'd know," he said before he pulled her over to kiss her temple.

She smiled and snuggled into him. "It's nice to remember more to help you."

"As long as that's not your only reason for doin' it," Logan said.

"Well, it is nice to resolve some discrepancies," Natasha admitted.

"Yeah? Must be nice," Logan said with a little chuckle.

Natasha smirked. "It helped - those tapes you suggested I watch of the failed Stark attempts. It was different enough to my memories that Xavier more easily broke into the hidden strongholds."

"As long as you're not plannin' to kill him still," Logan said. "She  _will_ hate you if you do that."

"I'd rather do something more fun with him," Natasha said with a smirk.

Logan smirked at that, knowing full well that things were starting to actually  _move_ with Tony and Pepper. Especially after the attempted snipe from another employer with a much more relaxed environment. "Uh huh."

"Oh, don't tell me you're like your future daughter-in-law," Natasha said. "She's convinced that sweet little idiot is better than Stark, as if she has any say in my romantic life."

"You're discountin' what Tony's after, Nat. Rookie mistake for a swallow."

Natasha narrowed her eyes at him for that one. "Excuse you."

He couldn't stop the chuckle that bubbled up or the grin that went with it. "That  _was_ your first encounter with him, wasn't it?"

"Logan."

"I wouldn't know," Logan said, the smile stretching a little wider. "I would  _never_ stoop to those tactics for a mission…"

"Oh, shut up."

Logan gave her a little squeeze. "I should go spend some time with my girl. Try to play nice."

"I just plan to eat this nice food and then sleep. I'm still worn out," Natasha admitted.

"Got plenty left over," Clint told Natasha. "As long as you tell Thor to hold off until you're done."

Natasha paused for just a beat of time before she nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

And while Clint nodded and the dinner was starting to break up, Jean smirked and leaned against Scott.  _Your big brother is trying so hard to play it cool._

_Not my big brother._

_Your almost-adopted brother from the circus, then._

_Sure, Jean._

Jean smirked at that.  _She likes him, you know._

_Yeah, I got that from the total shutdown I personally witnessed and still have frostbite from._

Jean rolled her eyes.  _Did you also catch that she's been getting her memories back and that the good ones were tampered with?_

 _Are we sure_ he's  _the one in the family and not her? A problem like that…_

_I don't know what to tell you, Scott._

Scott smiled and stacked their plates.  _Then I guess this is the part where we leave them to some privacy and find some ourselves?_

Jean shook her head at him.  _You're not paying any attention to this!_

_Jean, if Natasha decides to change her mind, then she changes her mind. You can see his crush from Jupiter. It's not a dramatic mystery._

_You're no fun._

_Sure, Jean._

She rolled her eyes and smacked him with the back of her hand, though he caught her hand before she could pull it back and then pulled her into a kiss - and really, after that, the argument was on hold.

….

From Russian:

_Chto za chert - What the hell_


	30. All The Blondes

K was doing her best to simply avoid everyone. It wasn't easy in the tower with everyone in a state of near panic trying to keep her comfortable, but … she was still trying. She found that with most of them, if she pretended to be asleep when she heard them coming down the hall, that was enough to get them to back off, but, of course, Logan … was an exception, both to the 'go away' and to the pretending to sleep trick.

But she was pretty separated from everything going on, which was honestly what she needed. Even if that meant she didn't exactly know what was happening with the intel or anything outside of the tower. So when there was a panic button that had gone off at the school, she wasn't in the group when the alarm went off … and she didn't know how many of them headed out to help.

That was, in fact, one of the few times she  _was_ exhausted and sleeping. And if she'd been awake, she might have been able to see the pattern that the guys were walking into.

* * *

It wasn't like they'd had a long stretch of quiet - and honestly, the X-Men were getting almost conditioned to the idea of people invading their home armed to the teeth and looking for trouble. So when their perimeter alarms went off, it wasn't overly surprising.

"I'll check this one," Kurt said in a tone that read exactly how put out he was having to head out into the darkness. He took his time standing up as Warren read off where, exactly, in the perimeter the alarms had been tripped before Kurt drew in a weary sigh and dropped his head, muttering about overly sensitive sensors … just before he teleported out of the building.

"He acts like he'd have to actually  _walk_ or something," Bobby muttered under his breath.

"Right, but the ice slide you take everywhere is really taxing," Warren said, rolling his eyes. "Face it - no one here  _right now_ has any issues travelling quicker than everyone else."

Bobby shrugged. "Hey, my way's fun."

"I'm sure everyone has their preferences," Hank said, shaking his head at the two of them - but they'd anticipated that Kurt would simply show up again, like he usually did…. "I think … we should probably get more serious, friends."

"Now you're starting to sound like Scott," Warren said.

"All the same," Hank said with a smirk, "for as much as Kurt did  _not_ want to 'waste his time'..."

"Right, right, let's go," Bobby said. He iced up and looked over to Warren as he pointedly  _walked_ toward the door. "I'll rush when I get outside. I can  _walk_  that far …" As soon as the door was opened, Bobby let out a whoop and started up an ice slide, easily matching Warren's speed as they rushed to where Kurt had teleported to.

Kurt wasn't hard to find, but it was just  _odd_ to see nothing near him and still, their little elf was out cold with his leg angled out strangely. "Is this … um … is this what happens if he 'ports into something he shouldn't?" Bobby asked.

"Possibly," Hank said with a frown as he crouched next to their unconscious friend.

"Do … I mean … would it help if I iced it up?"

Hank smiled up at Bobby. "He's unconscious right now, but it's kind of you to offer."

"I noticed, Hank, thank you for that," Bobby said. "I just … thought …. maybe swelling … you know what, nevermind."

"It needs to be set first, and then I could certainly use your help," Hank said, gently picking Kurt up and frowning deeper at the angle of the break. "That's odd…"

"Hank, I hate to tell you, but finding him like this at  _all_ is odd."

"Yes, but this doesn't seem like an impact break," Hank said thoughtfully. "That would be the most likely way to cause injury from teleporting only…" He paused, sniffing the air for a moment before he let out a low growl. "Come out of the trees," he said, his tone much sharper than before.

For a long moment, Bobby frowned the same way that Hank was staring - seeing nothing unusual. "Hank…"

"I may not be as sensitive as our friends the Howletts, but my nose does  _not_  lie," Hank said, still with a low growl to his voice.

There was no sound coming from the trees for a long while, which Bobby quite suddenly realized was  _odd_. No birds or bugs … no little squirrels or creatures ... and just like that, Bobby realized Hank was right and something was very wrong. His hand drifted to the panic button, but he didn't press it yet … not until he could at least report back something more than 'too quiet on the western front'.

But just as he turned to look away from where Hank was focused, a massive blond ball of rage burst from the trees and underbrush almost as if he'd learned how to teleport. Bobby swore loudly and stumbled backward as Sabretooth bashed into Hank  _and Kurt_.

"Woah, hey, wait," Bobby spluttered, reacting almost entirely on instinct to blast a solid wall of ice between Hank, Kurt, and Sabretooth. "You already hit him once. Didn't anyone tell you not to kick a guy when he's down?"

"Nope," Creed growled out before he plowed over the wall of ice - this time focused primarily on Bobby. "Guess you wanna take his hits then, icicle."

"Um. That's… not the point," Bobby said, skating out of Creed's reach with his eyes wide. "At the risk of sounding self-centered? Logan's not here, so maybe you could just… run along and chase your tail?"

"Nah, I think I'll just wait for 'im," Creed chuckled, then took a swipe at Hank that left him with five deep gouges across his back.

"Hey!" Bobby blasted Creed with ice to the chest and iced him to the spot before he rushed over toward Hank - though Warren got there faster to pull Hank and Kurt further from the action. "What is your  _problem_?"

"C'mere and I'll tell ya all about it," Creed chuckled as he started working on pulling loose of the ice.

"Hard pass," Bobby said, reaching into his pocket to hit the panic button there - since, well, Sabretooth.

Creed waited for Bobby to turn his back to him, sure that the kid was going to honestly think that a little  _ice_ would stop him. And as Bobby and Warren tried to stabilize Kurt enough to get hm back to the house, Creed wriggled loose of his boots, and a few moments later, he couldn't help but let out a shrill whistle to get Bobby's attention - just before he pounced at him  _and_ the winged freakshow.

* * *

As soon as Bobby had hit the panic button, the Avengers were in motion. Scott in particular wasted no time trying to get back to his team - though with how close K was to her due date, there was no way they were leaving her alone. So, Steve volunteered to stay behind - though Jarvis was, unsurprisingly, sticking close as well.

"You know, I'm not Logan but if you need a hug…" Steve offered with a smirk - obviously trying to get a smile out of her when the place had been a little tense just a few minutes ago over what the X-Men could be in trouble over  _this_ time.

"I could be left with a lot worse guys to get a pity hug from," K said with a little smirk.

Steve chuckled at that and came to sit next to her. "Seriously, the way Scott was looking, I almost feel bad for whoever came to Westchester."

"That's almost always pity wasted," she told him as she pulled her feet up underneath her on the couch. "The only reason I even came out of my room was because the herd thinned out to just the cutest blondes."

Steve laughed outright at that. "I'm flattered!"

"You need to hear it now and again," she teased. "And Thor gets too much hype."

"K, I made my start in show business, and if you think I didn't get a few catcalls…"

"Honey, I  _know_ you did," she said. "But that's not how you're hyped up now." She smirked up at him. " _National_   _treasure._ "

"I'm  _not_."

"You so are," she chuckled. "Tell him, Clint."

Clint nodded seriously. "Oh yeah. He's the superior blond."

Steve rolled his eyes. "You're not helping, Clint."

" _You_. I'm not helping  _you_."

"Just accept that you're wrong about it already," K said as she scrunched her shoulders up. "Please?"

Steve shook his head, though it was obvious he was laughing. "I can't even argue with you."

"I know. Pregnant lady chic is not even fair," Clint teased, leaning over to kiss K's cheek.

"If it makes you feel better, we can try this argument again after she's here," K offered. "You'll still lose, but you'll have a few weeks to  _try_ and build a solid argument for me to tear down."

"I'll dye his hair with shoe polish so I can be superior," Clint said straight-faced.

"Don't you dare," K said, sounding severe. "I love his hidden blond locks." She leaned over to kiss Clint's cheek right back. "You get to be the superior out-there blond. He hides it."

"Okay, fair enough…"

K pulled the nearest blanket up to her chin and snuggled down into the corner so she could lay her head on the arm rest while the guys did … whatever they were going to do. She was sore from trying to sleep, and whatever rest she'd gotten hadn't done a thing to ease how  _tired_ she was. And the heavy metal poisoning from the adamantium was clearly showing symptoms, even if the docs said the little one was doing well - and apparently not suffering at all. Not that Clint missed any of it.

"I do know some  _actual_ lullabies if you think that would help you drift off," he muttered. "But if you tell anyone I do serious songs, you're dead to me."

"Do you know the full length version of 'ma-nah ma-nah'?" K asked with a crooked smirk and her eyes closed.

"Do, do, do, do, do," Clint sang without missing a beat.

"Perfect," K chuckled. "I don't really like too many serious kids songs unless they're in Swedish ...and I'm pretty I'd have to teach you  _Flickorna de sma_." She snuggled down a little further and did her best to  _try_ and drift off on her own. "You guys just … watch your … whatever."

"Hey, I've got a national treasure with me. I'm gonna make him watch baseball."

"Oh yeah, that'll put me to sleep," K said, smirking to herself.

"All the American manliness in one room," Clint snerked.

"Shut up," Steve said, rolling his eyes.

"That must be it," K said, smiling a little to herself. "I'm  _immune_ to American manliness."

"Canadian's close," Steve laughed.

"Yet still, not American," K chuckled. "So  _nice._ "

Steve rolled his eyes. "Well, that's good. Seeing as the Canadian got you pregnant."

"He's never, ever gonna let that go, either," K said, peeking up at Steve.

"I'd hope not," Clint smirked.

The three of them were more or less settled in, though Steve was frowning all through the game they were watching, obviously distracted and trying to keep his ears open for anything that might come up.

"You act like she's going to have the baby in the living room, Cap," Clint teased.

"Just thought we'd hear back from everyone a little quicker, that's all," Steve said.

"Must be serious," Clint said, frowning for just a second and sitting up a little better when he realized what time it was.

"If you two want to cut out and save the day, I'll probably be just fine," K said sleepily. "Can't believe you got stuck on babysitting duty."

"We volunteered."

"Well sure, you'd tell me that," she replied dryly as Steve got up and decided to take a look at the intel - just in case.

"So," K said, peeking over at Clint from half under her blanket. "Are you still watching baseball?"

"Well, sorta," Clint said. "Mostly now I'm wondering who's bothering the kids in Westchester."

K nodded at that. "Maybe we should go find out."

She'd barely gotten the words out of her mouth though, when they heard a heavy crash from the direction Steve had gone - and at that, K sat up a little, subconsciously tipping her chin up to try and catch a scent. She was slowly uncurling from her spot on the couch when they heard an almost strangled shout from  _Bobby_ of all people. They didn't know Creed had been using him as a way to get Jarvis to let him in - to keep him from gutting the kid on the lawn. "Get her out!" Bobby shouted.

Clint swore under his breath as he scrambled to his feet and then rushed to K's side to pull her upright. "Stark's got a panic room-"

"Just gimmie a gun," K said.

"I don't pack, but I got this." With a quick motion, Clint snapped out his bow.

"Alright, but … Tony  _has_ to have something more substantial around here somewhere," K said.

"Taser arrow?" Clint offered, pulling one of his marked arrows out to hand to her. "Just jab him."

"I'm … still thinking  _bang_." She started to head down the hall in the opposite direction that Clint was staging himself to intervene, then swore outright when Steve and Sabretooth tumbled into view. The two of them were fighting hard, and Creed had blood splattered over his arms already.

"Woah, you're not going that way," Clint said, rushing forward to pull K back from the fight. As he ran, he fired an arrow - which was fitted with acid that left Creed snarling when Clint hit him between the eyes. And it gave Steve the opportunity to bash Creed hard enough to get the upper hand, obviously working to push Creed further from the entryway, where Bobby was a bloody mess.

And while Clint was right - and Stark did have a panic room - it was a little too close to the fight, so as Clint drew back to hold a bead on Sabretooth, K darted for the kitchen to grab up as many decent knives as she could manage. When she returned, she took up a stance next to Clint and was ready to throw. "Tell me where you're aiming so I don't screw up your shot."

"Just waiting for an opening to get a lung. Even if he heals, if he can't breathe…"

K shook her head at that. "Then go for the diaphragm. Takes longer to heal and hurts like hell. I'm gonna try for an eye or his throat."

"Yeah, that acid's already got him pissed."

"Whatever you do, now's the time!" Steve was hitting hard - and Creed was answering his hits just as hard, though when he glanced up for a second, he narrowed his eyes and snarled at Clint.

"I can't make that sound, but I can do this," Clint shot back and let loose the arrow - as K had suggested, to the diaphragm.

When the arrow hit true, Creed tried to take a breath, and found himself grappling to pull the arrow loose - which was the right time for K to whip a couple of knives his way - though for as erratically as Creed was moving, she really only managed to nick the side of his neck. "Go for kill shots," K said. "That might slow him down a little."

Steve got to his feet, gasping and out of breath for as heavy as the fight had been, and while Creed finally got a solid grip on the bloodied arrow to yank it free, Steve charged, intending to tackle him to the ground. The two of them crashed into a wall and started throwing punches, though now that Creed had taken another nasty injury, he wasn't in the mood to play around much.

A sickening crack echoed the hall as Creed threw an elbow back into Steve's face, and before Steve could quite catch himself, Creed whirled and simply started tearing into him.

K narrowed her eyes and started throwing again - this time hitting a lot more solidly … one to a kidney, another the back of his neck in a spot close enough to the spine that it stopped Creed's assault long enough for him to turn and outright roar at the two of them. "Inferior blond," K muttered.

"K, get out of here," Clint muttered back. "Me and Steve can handle this."

"I can't fly, Hawkeye," she pointed out. "And he's blocking the freakin' exit."

Clint rolled his eyes. "Just get distance, okay?"

She blew a strand of hair out of her face with a growled out 'fine' before she started backing away from the scene - though she didn't take her eyes off of Creed, knowing that a few arrows just weren't gonna cut it.

Not that Clint wasn't going to make things difficult for Creed anyway. Steve was still trying to trip him up - not  _quite_ out of the fight yet - and as soon as he got Creed to stumble for a second, Clint let loose, three arrows at once, this time hitting Creed's throat like K had meant to. Plus, he hit one below the belt just because  _who the heck goes after a pregnant woman._

"I'm gonna shove that bow right up your-" Creed was growling out low as Clint kept the heat on.

"Yeah, yeah, you're really big and scary," Clint said as he kept firing.

"Rip your arms clean off, boy," Creed snarled out, sounding angrier somehow the closer he got.

"Still won't change how ugly you are!" Clint sang back to him, though it was pretty obvious to K at least that he was more worried than he let on. And with good reason, seeing as the second he ran out of arrows, Creed rushed him, yanking his bow out of his hands and then grabbing him by the arms before he tossed Clint against the wall .

Clint tried to get back to his feet, but he was seeing stars, and that was all Creed needed to rush him again, this time at least starting to make good on his threat by twisting Clint's left arm hard enough to snap it. But when Clint screamed and then tried to fight back by jamming a knife into Creed's thigh, Creed growled and put his elbow in Clint's head, knocking him out.

Once Clint was down, there really wasn't any more buffer, and though K had one knife left, when there was no one to distract him … she knew that'd be like handing it to him if she threw it. But already, as Creed got to his feet, he was starting to chuckle - which was never a good sign.

"You got a lot of people tryin' to keep you out of harm's way," Creed said as he started toward her. He was smiling with a few too many teeth showing, and without thinking about it, K simply wasn't backing away from him, circling instead in an instinctive attempt to get an exit strategy, even this late in the game. And the moment she was set so that she  _could_ run, Creed stopped and held both hands out to his sides with a grin. "Go ahead. Run. No way in hell you can outrun me right now. An' once I get a hold of you, I'm gonna kill every one of your little friends here."

K bit her lip, unwilling to take her eyes off him for even a second - already well aware of how quick he was anyhow. She leaned to her right, and Creed echoed the movement. "I'll start with the little popsicle," Creed said, then tipped his head. "Well. After I deal with the  _tiny_ one."

She growled low, rattling the broken glass around the room an instant before he broke the line, rushing her. He just wasn't expecting her to crouch down as much as she was able and put her shoulder down to hit him with a gut check  _low_. It wasn't enough to entirely stop his momentum, but it did slow him down, and she found herself almost on her hands and knees near the windows, her shoulder aching from the hit. She spun with her lip curled, but Creed was already on the move - and far quicker than she was in her current state.

A simple batted out strike from Creed knocked her to the ground, though she caught herself before she hit the floor flat. Before she could get her bearings, he took a handful of hair and hoisted her up - off of her feet - only to take his free hand and wrap it around her throat before slamming her into the glass looking over the city. K struggled to get away, struggled to get a breath … all while Creed smiled a little wider and then pulled her back to hit her against the glass a little harder, this time cracking it just a bit behind her head. "Which one should die first, girlie?" he asked with a little laugh before he let go of her hair, holding her up entirely by her neck.

He leaned in like he'd done a dozen times before to whisper a string of threats and promises as she fought for a breath- this time taking a much darker tone than even he was accustomed to - all while K looked toward her fallen guardians, hoping one of them would get  _up_. Though when that didn't look like it was happening - and Creed shifted his free hand to rest right at the highest point of her stomach - K started quietly whispering out 'please stop'.… Of course, that was exactly the right thing to get him to pause, and when she finally blinked away some of the panic to see the honestly  _delighted_ look on his face, she couldn't help it when her lip curled up and a ringing  _snikt_ echoed the room - followed by a heavy thump as Victor's hand dropped free from his arm.

It was clear Creed was shocked, though before he could even begin to recover, the sound of the door scraping open got both of them to pause - and then a second later, Creed went flying in the opposite direction of K.

"You were supposed to  _recover_ them," Sinister snapped angrily, one hand outstretched as he kept Creed pinned to the wall. "This child is  _my_ test subject, and your  _incompetence_ cannot be allowed to threaten my long-term studies any further." With that, he simply dove into Creed's mind and, a second later, stepped back as Creed crumpled. He sneered down at Creed for a moment before he tutted and shook his head, turning back to K. "Are you injured?"

K was simply staring at the scene in pure shock, half crumpled where she'd fallen against the now cracked window. "What the hell do you think?" She was holding herself upright with one arm, and the other was crossed over her stomach, though the claw marks from Creed were still weeping blood at her neck.

"I'm not concerned with superficialities. Anything  _lasting_ , my dear." Sinister's tone was almost … gentle.

She stammered for a moment, honestly more in shock at all of it before she started to blink to herself. "I … I don't know." Everything was sort of  _numb_ , and she felt as if even trying to think about what might be wrong had her hyper aware of every bump and bruise.

Sinister frowned at that before he made his way over. "Let me see," he said in a commanding tone. "If the child is in danger…"

She flinched back from him but didn't honestly have it in her to try to get away from him, either. And history had proven over and over that she really didn't have a good way to fight him.

Sinister was frowning to himself as he looked her over before he finally nodded to himself. "Well, nothing you can't heal from," he said. "And everything seems to be in order. But a stress like this... I would suggest whatever physician you've chosen be contacted. I would be there myself, but it's abundantly clear this imbecile will continue to interfere until I do something about him." He dusted his hands off and got to his feet, giving K a silky smile. "He was right about where to find you, of course. That's his only use. But even I run out of patience eventually." As he spoke, he levitated Creed's body and started to leave. "I'll see you after the child is born, I'm sure."

K watched them go, wide-eyed and honestly more than a little freaked out … and the moment that the doors closed behind them, she positively lost what little bit of grip on control she had and fell into an honest panic attack, gasping for air and failing to catch a breath, heart pounding as she lost the fight to keep from crying all at once. She had  _no_ idea where the kids were, where the Avengers were - what kind of mess they'd gotten into - and here she was in the middle of a gigantic  _disaster_ that had bashed and bloodied Clint, Bobby,  _and_ Steve.

Clint was the first one to wake up, letting out a groan and a pained noise as he pushed himself up with his good arm. "K?" He shook his head hard as he looked around. "I… missed the end of the fight…" He spotted Creed's hand and froze. "What…"

"Check on Bobby," K said as loudly as she could - though that didn't really count for much, and she hadn't moved from where Creed had dropped her, still.

Clint looked between K and Bobby, but considering the youngest person there was pale and worked over, Clint let out a noise and made his way over to check him over. "Wow." He let out a low whistle. "Okay. New plan. Everyone goes to the hospital. You, me, Bob, Cap…"

"Just wrap him up, please," K said. She started to move, pushing broken glass from a shattered coffee table as she did so, though she still wasn't ready to try standing up.

"You okay?" Clint looked up at her.

"Absolutely not," K replied. "You?"

"Yeah, I can't move my arm, so… no."

"How bad are they?" K asked. "And can you get in touch with anyone?" She took a moment to scrub her cheeks with the heels of her palms, trying to get something like a plan going so she could try to  _breathe_ easier.

"Steve's pretty bloody, and it looks like Bobby's gonna need some help…" Clint shook his head. "Can't stitch him up here, but I'm  _pretty_ sure Jarvis called someone when Bobby started yelling like that."

K had her eyes closed as she tried to focus a little better … and the more Clint talked, the easier it was to focus on anything. "Keep talking."

Clint nodded. "Okay. So… Okay. I'm just gonna tell you what I'm wrapping as I wrap it…"

As Clint talked, K managed to get her head on a little straighter, and before he was done giving Bobby the triage routine, she started to push herself to her feet, though she was absolutely unsteady once she was upright. "I think … I'm going to go lay down."

"Call out if you're in trouble," Clint said. "I'll help. If you don't mind a one-handed midwife."

"Unless you know how to filet me, that's not really very feasible," K said as she slowly made her way past him.

"Well, offer's still open. I can… help with breathing or something," Clint said, though he was still trying to wrap Bobby up one-handed and clearly not feeling good himself.

K hadn't gotten to her room yet before Jarvis made his reappearance, and as soon as K saw him, she waved him off. "They're hurt. All of them. I just … can't. Right now. I'm sorry."

"There's no reason to apologize," Jarvis said. "I've already called ahead to the Avengers, and Mister Stark will be bringing a medical team for them as well as for you." He raised an eyebrow. "Just to be safe, you understand. I recognized that red-eyed cretin."

"He didn't hurt me," K said. "He actually tried to help." But she didn't stick around to explain further before she headed into the bedroom and carefully laid down.

It was another little while before she heard other voices besides her three blond heroes and Jarvis - though Scott and Logan both went right to her room, looking downright concerned.

Of course, as soon as Logan was close enough, she wrapped her arms around him and just curled in, letting go of the shaky handle she had on 'calm' to just melt. "It was all Creed," she said. "I don't know what you were dealing with in Westchester, but it was all from Creed."

Logan frowned at Scott and nodded lightly. "I caught the scent, but we were dealin' with the department."

"He brought them to the school," Scott explained. "But Kurt, Hank, Warren - yeah. We knew it wasn't the department with them. Jan's making sure they get taken care of."

K pulled back from Logan's shoulder a little so she could look at the two of them. "No, you don't understand - Creed was working with them. It was his call to go to the school, and he was under Essex's orders."

"Wait. What?" Scott blinked at her.

"He was  _here_ ," K said. "Both of them were." She gestured to the open door. "I cut off Creed's hand, and Essex stepped in to keep him from doing any more  _damage._ "

"They were  _both_ here?"

Logan was frowning, but he could hear Jarvis down the hall more or less saying that he too had seen Essex. "He  _checked_ on me before he took Creed with him," K said. "Said he'd be back after the baby's born."

It was obvious both Logan and Scott were furious, and Scott was shaking his head. "How did you get away? We can do it again…"

"I didn't get away." K said quietly. "He took Creed with him. If Victor hadn't tried what he did, he'd have taken me with him instead."

Scott stared at her. "Mom…"

"Creed was supposed to recover all of us. You, your Dad, me … and he went off the chain, so … Essex stepped in."

"Are you okay?" Scott breathed out.

"Apparently," she said. "There was no  _lasting_ damage."

"Mom…" Scott let his shoulders drop and then simply hugged her tightly.

"Are  _you_ okay?" K asked over Scott's shoulder.

"Yeah. I flattened a few helicopters full of department soldiers…."

"Good," K said quietly, but then she just settled in with the two of them.

Eventually, though the two of them were perfectly content to curl up with her, the silence was broken by a light knock at the doorframe, and Piotr cleared his throat.

"Somethin' wrong, Pete?" Logan asked.

Piotr let out a long breath. "Well, yes, of course. Too many of our friends have been hurt. But I wanted to let you know that we just got word from the Wasp. Warren and Hank are both on the mend, and Kurt is stable. Bobby is in surgery for some internal injuries, but the doctors say he should make full recovery." He let out a breath before he continued in his thick Russian accent. . "And two Avengers are also mending. I thought you would want to know."

Logan nodded at that. "Yep, thanks for the update." He looked over to where K was finally soundly asleep. "Anything else?"

"Stark has  _team_ of doctors for you when the baby decides to show," Piotr said.

"Tell him to breathe," Logan said.

"I will," Piotr promised, though he stayed in the doorway. "And you… are you alright,  _dorogaya moya_?" he asked K.

"Sure," she said. "Why not?"

"No one else is," Piotr pointed out.

"You're all young. My bar is much lower than yours is," K pointed out.

"I should think everyone should use same measure," Piotr said. "Hurt is hurt."

"Take a number, ruskie," K said, snuggling into Logan's shoulder. "There's a whole bunch of people ahead of you to snuggle the little one when it happens."

"How many?" Piotr asked, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

K shook her head. "Well … I can think of five for sure. Six, maybe … if they can get a turn before the creep shows up again, that is."

"I'll buy some snuggle time," Scott said. "If I have to drop another house on him."

But that had her looking a little more down. "You're right after your dad."

"I know. I'm just saying."

K gave his hand a squeeze but clearly wasn't up to any teasing or screwing around. "We need to go somewhere else. Far away from here - and away from anywhere your Dad would pick to hide." She picked her head up and stole a little kiss from Logan. "No offense."

"None taken," he replied quietly.

"You still need the doctors to help with the metal," Scott pointed out. "We'd have to wait until after she's here, but…" He nodded. "Yeah. He knows where we are." He paused. "We should bring Jean too. He's interested in her, and I don't want to leave her behind…"

"Isn't she here yet?" K asked.

"She went with Jan," Scott admitted. "Dad and I came here, but she and Jan wanted to make sure Hank and Warren and Kurt weren't going to get… well, Jean's checking on the doctors and nurses because you  _know_ Kurt looks different…"

K nodded at that. "Take Creed's hand with you if you want to clear them out of the way," she said dryly. "You can hang it from the rear view mirror …"

"Mom."

"What?"

"I'm not hanging a hand like a pair of fuzzy dice, Mom!"

She shrugged at that though. "I'm just saying. It was his dominant hand. Ha."

"I'm glad you're okay," Scott said, giving her arm a squeeze. "And I'm  _very_ sure Jean will be here as soon as Bobby's out of surgery. We just wanted to make sure no one tried to screw up the mutants in their care."

"You should have Tony bring them here as soon as they're out of recovery," K suggested.

Scott nodded. "I'll talk to him later. Right now, I just want to make sure my mom's alright."

K let out a breath. "I'm shaken, but I'm okay."

"Alright. Don't have the baby while I'm talking to Iron Man, okay?" Scott said as he got to his feet.

"As you pointed out? I need help with that anyhow, so …"

"I'm teasing you, Mom," Scott said and kissed her cheek before he went to go find Tony.

"You sure you're alright?" Logan asked, though it didn't exactly sound like he meant it as a question.

"I have no frikkin' clue," K admitted. "I don't feel the same, that's for damn sure, but I don't know if that's something happening, or the shock still rolling around, or the panic attack … there are a few options."

Logan nodded at that and pulled her a little bit closer so she could try and settle in better. "I'll let you know if I notice anything," he promised, which was good enough for her to at least relax enough to finally fall asleep.

…..

From Russian:

 _dorogaya moya_ \- just a term for a woman you're on good terms with. No direct translation


	31. A Rose By Any Other Name

It was late,  _well_ after the kids that had been through surgery were brought to the tower under Tony's instruction- when the two ferals woke up … one right after the other. Something was definitely off, and K swore as she turned her head to look at the clock. "Well. At least it's not technically the same day," she said quietly as Logan got up and then quietly helped her to her feet.

Something had of course been knocked around during the course of events with Creed and Essex, and though had K definitely felt off since then, she'd kept her concerns to Logan, which meant she had a great second to watch for trouble. In the matter of the few minutes it took them to get from their room to where Tony had arranged for a medical set up, K had gone from just feeling very off to more or less unable to stand upright.

But they kept their little walk quiet all the way down to the doctors that were waiting for her to show, especially after they'd seen how she'd been doing earlier. They worked quickly- fast enough that K didn't have time to get into a full-blown panic attack at being restrained with a collar on before the meds kicked in and her eyes were rolling in her head. It was only a short while later that the doctors were working to close her up and Logan was holding their little girl.

The docs wanted them to stay put at  _least_ until morning, but Logan absolutely did  _not_ like the way they were looking at K. Instead, he didn't wait for them to remove the collar, cutting it off himself before standing watch. Almost as soon as she was healed, the three of them headed back to their shared room. Which … was how Scott got to meet his little sister the following morning.

K was curled up on her side in a little ball, dead to the world asleep, and Logan was leaning against the headboard with a tiny bundle in his arms. Logan took one look at Scott as he stood in the door and held one finger to his lips before he waved him in.

Scott broke into a smile that looked like he simply couldn't be held back as he made his way closer, his lips slightly parted as he looked down at the tiny little girl. "Wow," he said in a whisper quiet enough only Logan heard it.

"Right about three this mornin'," Logan replied before he shifted to hand her over to Scott. "Been a hell of a day for both of 'em."

"No kidding," Scott said, smiling more as he resettled the little one, then sat down and curled up with his new sister. "She's amazing."

"She's  _quiet_ ," Logan said.

"Fits in with the family," Scott said, gently tracing her cheeks and still smiling.

Logan was smirking as he watched Scott. "We're calling her Samantha Rose."

Scott's head came up for a second before he let out a light laugh and nodded. "Perfect," he said. "Hey, Sam. Welcome to the family."

For a long moment, Logan watched as Scott got acquainted with his new baby sister until he heard someone coming their way and smirked harder when Jean knocked on the doorframe.

"Oh, hello," Jean said with a wide grin - utterly  _failing_ at sounding casual.

"And I thought you remembered what we taught you about controllin' your poker face. You know lyin's a waste of time with me, right?" Logan said with a little chuckle. "Even if you had no reason to come this way, I heard you runnin' down the hall."

Jean blushed and then shrugged as she came to sit by Scott. "I could hear how happy Scott is from the other end of the tower. And even if we were further apart than that, I'm sure I'd hear him from  _space_."

"I'd leave the two of you alone with her, but when Sam wakes up, she's gonna want her mom," Logan said.

Scott smiled as he shifted Sam to hand her to Jean. "We'll just stay here," he said, kissing Jean's cheek as she positively melted over the baby.

"Might be dangerous to try otherwise," Logan said with a smirk.

Jean laughed at that. "K needs to get some time with her little cutie pie," she said. "She needs some happiness right now. We're  _not_ kidnapping Sam."

"Tempting as it may be," Scott teased.

"I'm sure she'll give you plenty of chances to spend time with her," Logan said, smirking at them. "She's … catchin' up on healin' right now."

"I'll bring up breakfast," Scott offered. "Do you want me to send anyone in?"

"I think anyone she'd want to see's in the hospital," Logan said. "But I'll bet Jeannie wants to keep holdin' her, too."

"Yep. Go get breakfast. I'll be right here," Jean said brightly, which had Scott laughing outright as he left to bring up food for all of them.

It was no surprise to the others, though, that Jan beat Scott back and let out a sound of pure  _joy_ when she saw the curled-up family. "Oh, I knew it! As soon as Scott came down, I knew it!"

"He has no game face," K said in a smoky tone as she stretched out a little.

"Well, why would he? This is amazing!" Jan skipped over to give K a hug and then scooped up the little girl from Jean. "She's gorgeous. I love her."

"You'd say that if she looked like a sack of potatoes," K accused her.

"Yes, but it doesn't make it any less  _true_!"

K shook her head at Jan and wrapped Logan's flannel around herself a little tighter. "I think I might need to borrow some clothes. The ones I was wearing yesterday … do not fit. And I don't think I can go wandering around in just Logan's shirts."

"I don't mind if you don't," Logan said dryly, pulling her closer to himself to kiss her while Jan grinned at both of them.

"Oooh, I have some cute dresses that are  _so_ comfortable," Jan promised. "I got your back!"

"I figured you would," K said, giving her a little smile. "I should probably apologize to Tony for the giant mess in the living room … and hall… and … entry … etcetera."

Jan waved her hand. "No, no. That was all Big and Ugly's fault. And poor Bobby - you should see the trail Creed left coming in…!" She shuddered. "That guy needs my stingers up his nose."

"I'm sure he's getting that much," K said. "So … better things to talk about … say hello to Samantha Rose …"

"Oooh, hello, Samantha!" Jan said, going nose to nose with the little one. "You are so. So. spoiled. You don't even know it yet."

"How's Steve doing?" K asked. "And Clint?"

"Steve's alright. That supersoldier stuff helps him heal faster - and did you know Warren heals too? Even Hank's bouncing back faster than normal…"

"Oh, that's nice to know," K said, frowning. "How'd they figure that out?"

"Well, when you shock the docs and don't need as much work as the initial triage would suggest…" Jan sighed. "Clint's alright. The good news with him is there's no infection, even with, like, a zillion different people's blood and guts in the cuts he got." She leaned forward with a smirk. "But Natasha was pretty mad when she heard Creed broke his left. Just so you know."

"Oh,  _was_ she now?" K asked before she stole a kiss from Logan and shifted to get upright. She reached over and quietly picked up Sam, then crossed the room to take a seat in a comfortable chair as the little girl started to fuss. "We can get her squared away then go see her godfather."

"Oh?" Jean smiled. "Who'd you pick?"

"Gonna have to wait and see," K said, simply settling in to feed Sam. "Maybe … you can find me pants that will kinda fit? Then you can join us for the parade."

"I told you - I have a cute  _dress_ ," Jan said, holding a hand up. "You just wait right here and look adorable."

"Well … here I am in my husband's shirt …"

"I know. You look so cute!" Jan beamed before she zipped out, and Jean couldn't stop the laugh.

"You're going to cheer everyone up," Jean promised. "We've all been excited to meet her."

"Might as well try," K said. "It was a big hit yesterday."

"It was, but you should have seen the team," Jean said, smiling wider and leaning forward. "The department's forces got  _flattened_. It was Creed who did most of the damage, not them."

"Yeah. And he paid for it," K said. "I'm sure Scott filled you in." K sat back, trying to relax a little as she took care of Sam - and when Jan returned, there wasn't much left to do other than to hand Sam over to Logan so K could change. And then … they simply waited for Scott to show up before they headed out.

Logan had Sam, and K had picked up the coffee that Scott had brought up, kissing his cheek with a promise to eat when they got done with handing out the godparent titles. "I promise. I'm too tired to bop around too much," K said quietly.

"Okay," Scott said. "But then please let us take care of you, alright?"

K gestured, holding her arms out. "I've got nothing left to fight you with right now. I just want to get the right people on notice - and then probably put your dad's shirt back on and climb into bed."

"Okay," Scott said again. "After you eat." He smirked. "Like I said, trying to take care of you."

"I can eat in bed," K said with a little frown.

"You both care about each other, and you're both sweet. Now I want to see you destroy this godfather with happiness," Jan said, clapping her hands together. "Let's go!"

K smirked as she and Logan shared a look - and then K took Scott's arm to very quietly ask. "Where's Steve?"

Scott's grin got even wider. "First room on the right."

She squeezed his arm and then had him lead her all the way up to the door before she knocked lightly and waited for the expected, distracted invite to come in. Of course, Steve wasn't expecting to see her missing the bump. "Got a minute?" K asked.

"Yes, of course." Steve sat up straighter and then shot her a crooked smile. "Congratulations, by the way."

"Yeah, early this morning," K said, nodding before she turned and tipped her head for Logan to step in with her. "And you really stepped up to help so you're at the top of the list to say hello." Logan carried the little one over and as he handed Sam off to Steve, he took the next bit of news, too.

"You've been doin' good by Scotty, so we were hopin' you'd be Godfather for little Samantha Rose," Logan said.

Steve looked openly shocked, searching both of their expressions for a long moment. "Yeah," he said at last. "Of course. Yes."

"Great," Logan said,  _highly_ amused at his old friend's total focus on the newborn.

"You said Samantha?" Steve glanced up at Logan and then grinned. "That's beautiful. And fitting"

"I've been calling her Sam," Scott put in, also grinning widely. "I know Mom will shorten it anyway, so I'm getting the jump on my parents."

K nodded and took a seat at the foot of Steve's bed. "Yeah, well. That's the dangers of being around us, right? Sammy Rose ..."

"Yeah, sorry to tell you this, K, but this kid is going to be spoiled  _rotten_ ," Steve said with a smirk.

"We figured that out a while ago," K said.

"As long as you know." Steve smiled and sat back with Sam. "She's got your nose, K. What a relief." He smirked up at Logan for a second as he said it.

"I'm not arguin' that," Logan said with a little shrug. "She can take after her mother entirely if I have a say in it."

"No, she's got your eyes," Jean insisted, playing with Sam's hands over Steve's shoulder.

"She's too little to tell for sure," Logan said, totally unbothered.

"When I'm right, I'll gloat," Jean said primly.

"She will," Scott laughed - and then laughed again when Jean hit him with the back of her hand.

"And I won't complain one bit," K said.

"It's like you two like each other or something," Jan giggled.

"Funny how that works," Logan deadpanned before K handed him her coffee and then made her way over to kiss Steve's cheek and scoop up Sam.

"Alright, you precious treasure, heal up … you can snuggle her later," K said to Steve.

"I'm never getting away from that name, am I?" Steve laughed.

"Never ever," she said. "And thank you. You shouldn't have gotten in a fight that badly for me."

Steve smirked. "Logan will tell you I've gotten in worse fights for less. I was defending a good friend. That's good enough for me."

"National. Treasure," K called out in a sing-song tone as she headed for the door.

Jean giggled and bumped K's shoulder as they headed out. "You're having so much fun."

"I'm trying very hard to do so, too," K said before she stopped and took a moment to try and scent out the air before the antiseptic was just too much to get around.  _Alright,_ she projected to Jean.  _Where's my baby bird with a busted wing?_

Jean smiled at the description.  _He's on the left, second door._

K nodded at that and simply made her way over - though she left it up to Jean to knock for her. "Are you awake?" K called out.

"Mostly!" Clint called back.

"Got a minute?" she asked before she stepped through with Sam snuggled up in her arms.

Clint beamed at that and sat up straighter. "Okay, come in here," he said. "I've gotta meet her. I can't hold her too well, but at least let me say hi."

"She's little, you can do it with one arm," K said as she made her way over to him and then gently helped him to hold her comfortably. "Her name is Samantha Rose, and she's hoping you'll be her  _other_ Godfather."

Clint smirked quietly. "Oh yeah. Unofficial second. Who's the poor sap who got the official title and not the cool one?"

"No, official  _second_ one. I couldn't pick between two gorgeous blonds."

Both of Clint's eyebrows shot up. "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Wow. Well, yes. Sure. Of course. Yeah." Clint looked down at Samantha. "This is because of the singing, isn't it? She imprinted like a duck, right?"

"In part, yeah," K said with a little smirk. "And for absolutely everything else you did to try and help me."

"Got your back," Clint said, grinning up at her. "Gotta stick by the best friend I've got in this biz."

K leaned over to give him a little kiss on the temple. "I think you're doing great."

"So're you," Clint said. "She looks like you."

"That's the consensus so far," K said. "And I guess that's alright."

"You guess?" Clint shook his head. "C'mon, K. If you weren't married, I'd have already tried to ask you out. You're  _gorgeous_. Just admit it, and admit your daughter and  _my goddaughter_ is just as much of a model as you are, okay?"

"You make it hard to argue with you when you're all … high and hilarious."

"Right? This is the  _good stuff_."

K smiled at him and then gave him another quick kiss on the temple before she picked up Sam. "We'll be around for a little while anyhow," she said. "Come find me when you're healed up and less high, okay?"

"I'll let you sign my cast," Clint promised.

"Oh … about that ... " K said, pausing and holding one finger up. "Scott said he didn't want that hand for his rearview mirror. Last call before I feed it to an alley cat ... "

Clint made a face. "No thanks. It'd stink up my car."

"Fair point," she said, nodding. "But … it's kind of payback, you know …" She tipped her head toward Clint's cast. "Dominant hand …"

Clint smiled at that. "You're the best; you know that?"

"Love you too, blond little baby bird," K sang out.

Scott grinned as he caught up to K on the way out. "Just think," he said. "She's got the head of the Avengers for a godfather and the head of the X-Men for a big brother. Even with Sinister around, that's pretty darn good and as safe as we can get her."

"And she's not even a day old and we know for sure that the Essex via the department want her."

"So, when are we heading out?" Scott asked.

"I don't know," K said, frowning. "I think … I need to talk to Tony. Maybe he's got something useful."

"I'll keep a telepathic eye open," Jean promised. "I've been through Scott's mind enough to recognize Sinister's telepathic signature. Even if he sends other people, I'll be able to know."

K stifled a yawn as they came closer to her room. "Oh, good, because I'm too tired to fight anyone right now." She stopped and turned, almost letting Jan bump into her before she handed Sam to her. "Your turn."

"Yay!" Jan bounced slightly and snuggled into the little girl. "Sleep well! I'm off to go give Hank a  _look_."

"Um … no," K said. "She stays near me. He can come up though. Godmother or no, I'm not tired enough not to get edgy without my newborn nearby."

"Wait, you didn't tell me about that when I came before!" Jan said, her eyes wide.

"Oh, well … it's been a hard day, okay?"

"Oh, totally." Jan smiled. "But I can still use Sam to give my fiance heart palpitations if you're close, right?"

"Yes. Just tell him he needs to come up here … tell him I'm crying uncontrollably or something … that kind of thing usually works, right?" K asked with a scrunched up nose.

Jan laughed. "I'll think of something, I'm sure," she said. "He does like you, you know."

"And he doesn't know she's here yet, so … you can always use that to your advantage, too," Logan pointed out.

"See? I love having fellow sneaky people around!" Jan kissed Logan's cheek. "Oh! And congratulations. I got K but not you, but -" She made jazz hands with one hand while she held Sam with the other. "Yay!"

Logan shook his head and neatly scooped up Sam. "Go torture your soon to be husband."

"Thanks for the permission I didn't need," Jan giggled before she flounced off, leaving Scott and Jean laughing outright as Jean let Scott in on some of Jan's nefarious schemes she was practically yelling projecting.

"Oh, we needed this," Jean breathed out, leaning on Scott as she wiped her eyes from laughing. "We needed something  _fun_."

"And they needed something positive," Scott said as he pulled her over to steal a kiss.

"And you know that your family is more than just the four of you, right?" Jean said as she settled in with her arms around him. "We're all going to do everything we can to keep you safe. All of you."

Scott smiled at that and pulled her into another kiss.  _Love you too, Jean._

* * *

_**A/N - And this takes us to the end of "Welcome To The X-Men! We Hope You Survive The Experience!". It's been a wild ride, and I think ended on a reasonable note, so of course, I'll ask that you kindly keep your eyes open for the NEXT volume in this 907 Series of events that will be titled "Fire And Life Incarnate". Thanks for reading and reviewing - it makes the whole experience a little more fun for me when you speak up.** _


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